York Region, Ontario has been shaken by a series of violent crimes — home invasions, arson, carjackings, kidnappings, and shootings — that have left families terrified and communities on edge.

In this special episode of Northern Dark: True Canadian Crime, we look beyond a single case to explore the wave of violence spreading across Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Markham, Bowmanville, and Lindsay. From the murder of Abdul Aleem Farooqi in front of his daughters, to an arson that killed two people in Richmond Hill, to a Markham home invasion where a man was shot and a woman kidnapped — this is the story of suburban Canada under siege.

Sources & References

• CBC News – Second victim, woman, dies after Richmond Hill house fire deemed arson
• CBC News – York police provide update on violent crimes in region
• CBC News – Boy, 12, released on bail in Markham shooting case
• CBC News – Lindsay man charged after defending home from knife- and crossbow-wielding intruder
• CTV News – ‘He’s got a knife’: 2 suspects arrested after Bowmanville carjacking and home invasion
• CTV News – Police say father of four killed during Vaughan home invasion confronted suspects inside residence
• CTV News – Suspects caught on security camera using axe to break into Vaughan home
• CTV News – 2 men, 2 teens arrested after woman kidnapped, man shot during home invasion in Markham
• Global News – Ontario father shot, killed during Vaughan home invasion
• Global News – Ontario family calls for bail reform after release of 12-year-old charged in Markham shooting
• Toronto Star – York police chief sends message after deadly Vaughan home invasion: Don’t engage
• Toronto Sun – Hate-crime legislation coming soon, bail and sentencing reform to follow: Fraser
• Toronto Sun – Ford calls Vaughan home invasion murder ‘devastating,’ vows to seek tougher bail reform
• Rebel News – At a Woodbridge home with $100,000 in security reinforcements, Poilievre pitches his party’s Jail Not Bail Act
• National Post – Yes, Liberals, Canada is pretty much the Wild West today
• YorkRegion.com – Neighbours and friends of Richmond Hill arson victims to grieve together in love and connection
• Police Association of Ontario – Police Association of Ontario calls for urgent federal bail reform to enhance community safety
• Toronto Police Association / OPPA / PAO – Police Associations Call for Immediate Legislative Change

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Description

On April 23, 2018, a bright spring afternoon in Toronto turned to horror. A white rental van mounted the sidewalk on Yonge Street, killing 11 innocent people and injuring 15 more in just 25 minutes.

This episode of Northern Dark: True Canadian Crime recounts the chilling minute-by-minute details of the Yonge Street van attack, explores the background of Alek Minassian, and examines the hateful ideology that motivated him.

We follow the investigation and trial, the families’ long wait for justice, and the legacy of Constable Ken Lam, who ended the rampage without firing a single shot. Finally, Mark and Leah reflect on what this case reveals about online radicalization, extremism, and resilience in the face of hate.

Episode Notes / Sources

• Wikipedia – 2018 Toronto van attack
• The Globe and Mail – What we know so far
• The Globe and Mail – Twenty-five minutes of horror on Yonge Street
• The New York Times – Toronto Van Attack coverage
• USA Today – Suspect Alek Minassian
• CTV News – Trial postponement details
• CBC News – Trial decision and verdict

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On December 6, 1989, a gunman entered Montreal’s École Polytechnique and opened fire, targeting women in a brutal attack that shook Canada to its core. Fourteen women lost their lives, and countless others were forever changed. This episode revisits the harrowing events of that day, the survivors’ stories, and the lasting impact on Canadian society — from gun control reforms to the fight for gender equality.

Northern Dark examines the tragedy not only as one of Canada’s darkest crimes, but as a turning point in the nation’s history: The École Polytechnique Massacre (Montreal Massacre).

Episode Notes

• CBC News – “École Polytechnique massacre: 30 years later, the wounds remain”
• Hazlitt – “Marc Lépine’s War on Women”
• Globe and Mail – Archives on the December 6, 1989 Montreal Massacre
• Maclean’s – “The Day Canada Changed Forever”
• Montreal Gazette – Coverage and survivor stories from Dec. 1989 to present
• Government of Canada – National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

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In 1984, nine-year-old Christine Jessop was abducted and murdered in Queensville, Ontario. Her neighbor, Paul Morin, was wrongfully convicted based on faulty forensic evidence. Nearly a decade later, DNA testing proved his innocence and changed the course of Canadian justice.

This episode of Northern Dark examines how investigators got it wrong, the devastating impact on Morin’s life, and how new science exposed the truth.

Sources & References

• CBC News – Christine Jessop case: DNA clears Morin, points to another suspect https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/christine-jessop-case-dna-1.5764855
• The Globe and Mail – Paul Morin acquitted of murder after DNA evidence (Archived link) https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/paul-morin-dna/article574861
• Toronto Star – Ontario man wrongly convicted in Jessop case to receive compensation https://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/paul-morin-receives-compensation-in-jessop-wrongful-conviction/article_28d0.html
• Innocence Canada – Case Files: Paul Morin https://www.innocencecanada.com/exonerations/paul-morin
• National Post – The Christine Jessop case and the failure of forensic science https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/christine-jessop-case-failure-of-forensic-science

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The Murder of Ashlee Shingoose

On March 11, 2022, twenty-nine-year-old Ashlee Shingoose went missing in Winnipeg. For nearly three years she was known only as Buffalo Woman—until DNA confirmed her identity. This episode follows her story, her family’s grief, and the fight to bring her home amid the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

Episode Notes

• This episode draws on reporting from:
• Wikipedia – 2022 Winnipeg serial killings
• CBC News – Timeline of Jeremy Skibicki case
• APTN News – “It’s a very hard thing”: Family of Ashlee Shingoose have their day in court
• APTN News – Court to hear from Ashlee Shingoose’s family a year after her killer convicted
• APTN News – “It was a happy cry”: Parents of Ashlee Shingoose express relief after identification
• APTN News – Buffalo Woman identified as Ashlee Shingoose
• APTN News – “She was always a loving person”: Parents of Ashlee Shingoose share their grief
• APTN News – Police believe Ashlee Shingoose’s remains in Brady Road landfill
• The Globe and Mail – Victim impact hearing for Ashlee Shingoose
• CNN – Canada Indigenous women killed, man charged

Further Resources

• Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) https://www.nwac.ca/
• MMIWG2S+ Resources and Support (Government of Canada) https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1590521050557/1590521098343
• Hope for Wellness Help Line (24/7 support for Indigenous peoples in Canada) Call 1-855-242-3310 or connect via online chat: https://www.hopeforwellness.ca/

On the morning of May 2, 2025, in the rural community of Lansdowne Station, Pictou County, Nova Scotia, six-year-old Lilly Sullivan and her four-year-old brother Jack vanished near their home. What began as a frantic local search quickly escalated into one of the largest missing persons investigations in Nova Scotia’s history.

This episode examines the first hours of the disappearance, the extensive search efforts, the family’s background, and the developments that followed — including surveillance footage, RCMP updates, and calls for a public inquiry.

The case remains unsolved. The Province of Nova Scotia is offering a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to the safe return of Lilly and Jack, or to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

Episode Notes

If you have any information about the disappearance of Lilly and Jack Sullivan, please contact the Northeast Nova RCMP Major Crime Unit at 902-896-5060, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

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Please rate and review Northern Dark: True Canadian Crime on Apple and Spotify, and share the podcast to help keep these cases in the public eye.

Resources & Sources

• CTV News – Three months since their disappearance, still no new information on Lilly and Jack https://www.ctvnews.ca/atlantic/nova-scotia/article/three-months-later-little-information-on-missing-ns-children
• CTV News – RCMP reviewing thousands of video files as investigation continues https://www.ctvnews.ca/atlantic/nova-scotia/article/missing-ns-children-rcmp-reviewing-5000-video-files-as-intensive-investigation-continues
• CTV News – Nova Scotia offers cash reward for information https://www.ctvnews.ca/atlantic/nova-scotia/article/nova-scotia-offering-cash-reward-for-information-about-missing-children
• Newsweek – Grandmother calls for public inquiry into disappearance of the children https://www.newsweek.com/lilly-jack-sullivan-update-grandma-calls-inquiry-missing-kids-2112520
• The Guardian – Canadian police scale back search after six days, amid low odds of finding the children alive https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/07/canada-missing-children-nova-scotia
• People – Siblings vanish; police receive hundreds of tips https://people.com/siblings-vanish-from-home-police-received-hundreds-of-tips-11735640
• Wikipedia – Disappearance of Lilly and Jack Sullivan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Lilly_and_Jack_Sullivan

On April 18–19, 2020, the quiet community of Portapique, Nova Scotia, became the epicenter of a thirteen-hour rampage that claimed 22 lives across multiple towns.

Disguised as a police officer and driving a replica RCMP cruiser, Gabriel Wortman used deception and violence to evade capture, leaving a devastating trail of destruction through rural Nova Scotia.

In this episode, we break down the confirmed facts — the victims, the timeline, the police response, and the aftermath — drawing on official reports and verified news sources. We also examine public criticism of the RCMP’s handling of the crisis, the federal response, and the memorials honoring those lost.

Northern Dark: True Canadian Crime exists to bring light to unsolved cases and events that have left a deep mark on Canadian communities.

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Sources Used:

1. Wikipedia – 2020 Nova Scotia attacks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Nova_Scotia_attacks
2. CBC News – RCMP release new details and timeline of Nova Scotia gunman’s rampage https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/rcmp-new-details-timeline-nova-scotia-manhunt-1.5541561
3. The Signal – Demolition of downtown Dartmouth building welcomed as part of healing process https://signalhfx.ca/demolition-of-downtown-dartmouth-building-welcomed-as-part-of-healing-process/
4. Global News – Court docs reveal more about Nova Scotia gunman’s mindset https://globalnews.ca/news/7348914/nova-scotia-shooting-gunman-mindset-court-docs/
5. Global News – Growing criticism over how RCMP warned public about killer https://globalnews.ca/video/6850607/growing-criticism-over-how-nova-scotia-rcmp-warned-public-about-killer
6. The Guardian – Friends and family pay tribute to Nova Scotia victims https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/20/nova-scotia-shooting-friends-family-pay-tribute-victims
7. CBC News – Permanent memorial to Nova Scotia mass killing victims in Portapique https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/permanent-memorial-to-ns-mass-killing-victims-portapique-1.5581032
8. CTV News – Proposed class action lawsuit filed against NS mass shooter’s estate https://www.ctvnews.ca/atlantic/article/proposed-class-action-lawsuit-filed-against-ns-mass-shooters-estate-on-behalf-of-families/

Sixteen-year-old Ramona Wilson never made it to her friend’s graduation dance. Ten months later, her remains were discovered in the woods behind the Smithers airport — the same area her mother had begged police to search.

In this episode, we walk through Ramona’s final day, the delayed investigation, and the legacy her family has built in the decades since. Her name now echoes among hundreds of Indigenous women and girls lost along Highway 16.

This is not just one unsolved case — it's a reflection of a national crisis. And Ramona’s story deserves to be heard.

📞 If you have information about this case:

• Smithers RCMP Detachment: 250‑847‑3233
• North District Major Crime Unit: 250‑561‑3176
• Crime Stoppers (anonymous tip): 1‑800‑222‑TIPS (8477)

🕯️ Episode Sources:

• CBC Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women project
• The Hue and Cry: Ramona Wilson profile
• Hazlitt: “The Death and Afterlife of Ramona Wilson”
• Al Jazeera: “If she was white, she would still be here”
• National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls testimony

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