Canada is rich in history, but few destinations are as mysterious as Oak Island in Nova Scotia.

Located just off the coast of Nova Scotia, this intriguing plot of land has been the subject of a 200-year-old treasure hunt.

According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, it all started in 1795 when 16-year-old Daniel McGinnis noticed a depression in the ground beneath a giant oak tree.

With the help of two friends, the boy started digging and found a shaft with oak logs and what they believed to be “scrapings” along the walls—this would be the beginning.

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“Soon after, another group of treasure seekers took over, convinced that the so-called ‘Money Pit’ was the site of long-lost buried treasure, possibly belonging to Captain Kidd or Blackbeard,” they explain on NovaScotia.com

“They even claimed to have found a flagstone etched with symbols that, according to an amateur cryptologist, translated into ‘forty feet below, two million pounds lie buried’.”

Despite many difficulties and risks, the hunt continued grabbing the attention of former US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and more recently The History Channel, which has a popular TV series called “The Curse of Oak Island.”

Want to participate in the dig?

You’re out of luck.

Oak Island is currently privately owned and closed to visitors, but don’t despair!

From sea tours to museums, there are plenty of off-island experiences where you can learn about Oak Island.

There’s no place quite like it!

Cassandra Stefanic

Regional Editor, Prairies –Cassandra is a Calgary-based journalist with a deep appreciation for music, film, food, travelling, and storytelling. When she’s not chasing a story, writing, or editing, you’ll likely find her in the mountains, binge-watching a new series, at a speakeasy, cooking, or getting lost in a Taylor Swift re-record.

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