I’ve compiled a list of important events in the history of Oak Island. It is not a complete list of all the activity that has happened on the Island, but covers the most important aspects concerning the case of the Treasure Pit.

I won’t vouch for the authenticity of any of the points, but keep in mind that the more recent it took place, the more likely it is to have happened as reported. Much of the early information on the site should be questioned for its accuracy. Most of the objects found at the site are no longer available for study.

At the end I will include links to a few sites with more information.

(Graphic of the Treasure PIt. Found on The UnMuseum.)

Here are the facts:

1795 - Daniel McGinnis discovers a strange circular impression in the ground on Oak Island. Much mayhem ensues.

1795a - Over the next several days McGinnis, John Smith and Anthony Vaughan dig at the site. Two feet under the surface they come across a layer of flagstones. They begin discussing how they are going to spend their millions.

1795b - At approximately the ten, twenty and thirty foot depths they ran into a layers of oak logs. After this point they weren’t able to continue and plan to return at a later date.

1803 - McGinnis and friends had a lot to do and couldn’t return until eight-years later. This time it was personal. The Onslow company was formed and digging resumed. They quickly made it back to the thirty-foot depth and continued down to the ninety-foot depth, finding layers of logs every ten feet, as well as a layer of charcoal at forty feet, a layer of putty at fifty feet and a layer of coconut fiber at sixty feet

1803a - At ninety feet one of the most mysterious items associated with the site was found. An inscribed stone. It’s generally agreed that the inscription reads, “Forty Feet Below Two Million Pounds Are Buried”. An alternate reading of the inscription reads: “Buried Are Two Million Pounds. Feet Below Forty” Yoda is immediately suspected of involvement.

(Inscription found on the Stone Tablet. Found on The Active Mind )

1803b - At ninety feet water started to seep into the pit, and within a day became almost sixty feet deep. None of the efforts used in an attempt to empty the pit of water worked. The project was abandoned. Much swearing occurred.

1804 - A parallel pit was dug in an attempt to bypass the flooded area. It was dug down to a depth of one-hundred feet. A tunnel was the excavated to connect the original with the new pit. Water flooded in again, and the new pit was abandoned. Much swearing occurred.

*People claim that a five-hundred foot booby-trap had been created that connected the pit to nearby Pit’s Cove, which is where the flood water was coming.*

1849 - The Truro Company was formed. They dug down to eighty-six feet before the pit was flooded. They decided to drill into the pit before continuing to find, to see what might lay buried.

1849a - At ninety-eight feet the drill went through a layer of spruce, before going through four inches of oak and then twenty-two inches of what appeared to be pieces of metal. It was believed that they had drilled through chests of coins. Three small links from a chain were also found due to drilling. A brawl erupted amongst the workers as each wanted the treasure; many claimed they were the infamous missing links of evolution, which was very peculiar since Darwin hadn’t published his work on Natural Selection yet.

1850 - The Truro Company returned to dig another parallel pit, and then a tunnel to join it to the Money Pit. Just like with the last effort the tunnel flooded.

1861 - The Oak Island Association was formed. They cleared out the Money Pit down to eighty-eight feet. They dug a second pit to the east in an attempt to intersect water coming in from the Cove. The new shaft was dug down to one-hundred and twenty feet without discovering a channel.

1861a - They dug a third pit to the west of the Money Pit and again tried to join the two by a tunnel. The pits began flooding once again. This time bailing the pit appeared to work and waters receded.

1861b - While bailing continued and hopes were raising, the bottom of the pit fell approximately fifteen feet further. Workers blamed it on the Mormons.

1893 - The Oak Island Treasure Company began their search. After spending time trying to stop the flow of water, unsuccessfully, they decided to drill into the pit for another sample.

1893a - At one-hundred and twenty-six feet wood and iron were struck. It was suspected that this was the same material as had been at the higher level before the cave-in.

1893b - Between one-hundred and thirty feet and one-hundred and fifty-one feet blue clay was found. This was a putty like substance that was believed to be used as a watertight seal. Another putty layer was found between the one-hundred and sixty foot and one-hundred and seventy foot layer. Late one night several workers absconded with some of the putty. The next year Silly Putty was released to the public as a toy for children.

1893c - Between the putty layers is what is believed to be a cement vault. The walls of the vault were seven inches thick. Inside the vault the drill first struck wood, and then a void, before hitting an unknown substance. After this the drill hit a layer of soft metal, and then a layer of metal pieces, before hitting another layer of soft metal. It’s rumoured that Geraldo Rivera’s dignity may be buried in the vault.

1893d - When the drill was brought back to the surface a piece of parchment was attached to it with the letters ‘vi’ or ‘ui’ or ‘wi’ on it.

1893e - Excited by this find the Oak Island Treasure Company started to sink a series of holes in an attempt to reach this chamber. All of the new pits eventually flooded and the treasure remained out of reach.

1899 - A second flood tunnel was discovered, the entrance located in the South Shore Cove.

1909 - Franklin D. Roosevelt, interested in the treasure, became part of a team to tackle the problem. Through test drilling discovered a cement like material at one-hundred and fifty feet. A sample submitted to Columbia University were reported to be man made. Much celebration occurred. Filled with confidence Roosevelt declared himself King of Oak Island. The next day a bloodless coup dethroned Roosevelt and he was replaced with a potato.

1936 - Old timbers, joined using wooden pins, were discovered in Smith’s Cove. Thought to be very old, possible placed there by those who buried the treasure.

1959 - Bob Restall and his family work on the site. A rock with ‘1704′ is discovered on the island. Could this be the date that the treasure was originally buried? Some researchers think so. Other’s believe it is the first example of ‘7eet’ speak known to man.

*Some believe the stone is a prank left by previous diggers*

1965 - While excavating Bob Restall is overcome by fumes from a generator, and falls into the water at the bottom of the shaft. His son and two other workers try to save him, but are also overcome with carbon monoxide, and pass out. All four drown.

1965a - Bob Dunfield brings heavy machinery onto the island. He attempts to block the inflow of water from Smith’s Cove. It is determined that at one-hundred and forty feet there is a two foot layer of limestone. Beneath this is a forty foot void, at the bottom of which is a layer of bedrock. The dreams of previous treasure hunters are found floating in the void.

1967 - A pair of wrought-iron scissors are found, buried below the drains at Smith’s Cove. It is determined that they are of Spanish-American origin, probably made in Mexico, and are around three-hundred years old. A heart shaped stone was also found.

1970 - Triton Alliance builds a new cofferdam at the cove. During construction they discover the original builder’s cofferdam. There are roman numerals carved into the wooden logs. The wood is carbon dated to 250 years ago.

1976 - A camera is lowered down a borehole, and into what is thought to be an artificial cavity. Images of a severed hand, body, and wooden chests are claimed to be seen in the video. Some people believe the middle finger of the severed hand is slightly raised.

*Many skeptics claim that no such things can be seen in the video and it’s too murky to identify anything*

The story of Oak Island.

Mysteries of Canada.

Critical Enquiry.

Off the coast of Nova Scotia is an island; Oak Island. It’s an island of mystery and intrigue. Lives have been lost and fortunes have been wasted. Decades of pain, laced with the sweet, luscious taste of sweaty tears — that’s right, sweaty tears — have been the only reward of effort into discovering an answer to the question of what is buried in the Treasure Pit located on the island. The potential for riches has inspired individuals for centuries and persists today, even though it is based on obscure, shadowy information and contradicted by modern investigations that shine a suspicious light on the authenticity of the claim.

*cough*

The mystery has been haunting treasure hunters since 1795 when teenager Daniel McGinnis discovered a strange circular depression in the ground on Oak Island, and a nearby tree with markings which indicated that some kind of pulley system had been used. All indications pointed towards buried treasure.

(Map of Oak Island…or is it??? Yes, it is. Map found on Csicop.org.)

Ever since, people have wondered what lays at the bottom of the pit. Over the years groups of treasure hunters have formed to excavate the site, but as of yet all attempts to reach a conclusion have been thwarted. Some suspect the pit to be booby-trapped, thereby foiling all attempts at reaching the prize. Others shake their heads and see natural geography as the cause of interruptions and wonder why so many people have wasted their time chasing a ghost.

There are reports of interesting items discovered on the Island, although nothing of any value or worth. Some items found include several inscribed stones, including one covered in runes, links from a gold chain, and an autographed picture of Orlando Bloom.

(Autographed pictures of Orlando Bloom are known for their lack of value.)

Before we get into the facts of the case, here’s my opinion: It doesn’t matter. One way or the other it really doesn’t matter if there is or isn’t a treasure at the bottom of the money pit. What matters is the story, and it’s a fascinating one. If I have to choose between believing, and not believing, I will choose believing. I care less about rationality and reasoning, and more about fascination and intrigue.

If people want to blow millions of dollars on an adventure and a dream then they should go for it. What is more important than stories, whether they be true or fiction? It matters less about whether or not it’s true than it does whether or not it’s interesting and accessible.

Now that I’m finished channeling Yann Martel…

(How is Yann Martel involved in the Oak Island Mystery? He isn’t. If you’ve read The Life of PI you know what I’m talking about. Picture from Wikipedia.)

This story has it all. A treasure. Men who want the treasure. Death due to attempting to acquire the treasure. Water.

Yes, water!

It also has millions of dollars spent on a fruitless search. It has references to the Masons and Knights Templar.

It’s the story of human dreaming wrapped up in a single island. It’s about people who are willing to fight for the ultimate price. But, mostly it’s a story about a hole in the ground.

In part 2, we will explore the known facts about Oak Island.

In part 3, I will explain my theories about Oak Island. They’re good theories. Trust me. You’ll like them. It’ll be fun. Kinda like when you chug the brine from a jar of pickles. Yeah, that kind of fun.

Canadians, as a nation, are a proud people, and the government has spent a lot of money and time to develop a sense of nationalism amongst its people. One of the things that people - often people who are not Canadians - think, is that the sense of being Canadian comes from a desire to be not-American.

In other words the Canadian psyche is built around not being American, rather than being Canadian; the negative stance is more important than anything that may be positive.

So, dear reader, I have a few questions for you:

If you are Canadian, are you proud to be Canadian, and why?

If you are not Canadian, what do you see as the difference, if any, between Canada and America? What do you think of Canada and Canadians? Please state where you come from.

Please keep it civil. I will delete any comments that are obviously baiting in nature and whose only purpose is to flame another nation and be abusive.

I would also like this to be an ongoing project.  No matter how long this post has been up, feel free to add a comment to it.

As a response to my previous stripper post here are the lyrics to the Consolidated song No Answer for a Dancer.

(Image from Artists Direct web site)

If you’re not familiar with the band Consolidated, they are/were, perhaps, the most political and liberal of all bands ever, and I’m - probably - not just spewing hyperbole either. For a young idealist in the late 80’s and into the 90’s, though, they were gods of opinion.

I tried to find a video of the song, but the search was futile. Instead here’s a video of their song, America Number One:

This song, I think, captures the issues with the sex industry, and the problems of taking away that option from those who choose to participate.

This is the thing about pornography. If all parties involved are agreeable and are involved without coercion, then it should be fine, right? The problem is, coercion isn’t just blatant, nor is it just subtle. It’s inherent in society. It’s inherent in the drive for more money and plastic frivolity and uselessness.

It was after the show, I’m loading out the van

it could’ve been anywhere but in this case atlanta

a woman walks up while I’m packing

she says have you got a minute

I say yeah just a second

how are you did you enjoy the show

she said I did but I still have a question though

some of your remarks were confusing

especially the ones about pornography and prostitution

now let me understand this

that for women and children this is violence

well I appreciate the messages you’re giving

but I happen to dance for a living

and I want to know why you want to be my voice

taking away that which should be my choice

to seek gainful employment even it it means giving dirty old men enjoyement

now exploitation of anyone is wrong I agree

but this doesn’t apply to me

I’ve never been harassed while I work

and my bottom line’s phat

now sir can you deal with that

you could already call this a situation

this debate’s insane but I was on the spot

so I had to try to explain

her points were intelligent and simple

and I’m already feeling like Mr. guilty white liberal

just try to be sensitive

don’t act like I have any advice to give

let me make it clear I support you

in a man’s world a woman does what she’s got to

if this is your profession your sexual expression

your internalized oppression

I won’t doubt you

my only problem is with a society

that forces women into sexual commodities

where a third of all women are known to be sexually abused

before they’re grown

most raped most homeless and addicted

if this job were described to you

would you have picked it

average age fourteen yes obscene

made to look aroused by pain

children being raped with guns and knives

that’s not speech but the taking of innocent’s lives

if you happen to be the exception that’s cool

but let’s consider the overwhelming rule

we parted ways with no resolution

you can go back and forth and never find a solution

the only point I wanted to make to her

is while all the liberals and pornographers decide where the line

between porn and erotica is

this is what prostitution really is

a question of censorship alright

of women’s and children’s rights

and there’s no first amendment protection

for those unable to raise an objection

if they weren’t silenced they’d sound an alarm

and we’d all know the difference between speech and harm

you want to mutilate youself on film

that’s your choice

but can we protect those without a voice

I’d never get your face

I just don’t want you to end up like Linda Lovelace

the bottom line is I’m a man

and I listen to you because I could never understand

I haven’t got shit tosay

but if I don’t say anything

how long will it be this way

The once vaunted and educationally-stimulating occupation of stripper is becoming an endangered career choice for sexy-babes from across the GTA (Greater Toronto Area). In a shocking expose on the state of the stripping industry the Toronto Star has uncovered the sordid truth; strip clubs in Toronto are in trouble.

I was deeply saddened by this news.

Apparently the stripping business isn’t as lucrative as it once was, having to compete with all things internet. The number of registered strippers has dropped to 1,254 from 2,834 in 1998. The ladies aren’t able to make as much money providing Gentlemen Of Culture with dancing lessons. Naked dancing lessons. Usually in the gentleman’s lap.

(I’m very offended by this picture!)

Although I haven’t been to a Toronto strip club in over fifteen or so years, I have fond memories of visiting bastions of Toronto culture, such as Zanzibar and Caddy’s, as a youngster.

I made it to my first strip club when I was seventeen years old. It was a different time back then. Kids in my day only stabbed each other once, not multiple times, and if you had to shoot somebody you made sure you hit your target, rather than shooting randomly into a crowd and hoping to hit the person you intended.

It was in Quebec City during Winter Carnival. A friend, Marcus, and I were separated from the rest of our group during a high-school ’skiing’ vacation. We wandered the streets of Old Quebec when, suddenly, we came across the entry to ‘Le Balzac’, which had pictures of half-naked women in the windows.

(Here’s one for the ladies. You can thank me later.)

Did we dare go in? Age of majority in Quebec was 18, so we were close to being legal, but we would have to rely on the good graces of the bouncer. Then we remembered an old saying: ‘When in Old Quebec, standing in front of Le Balzac, do as the Quebecois would do‘.

We decided the Quebecois would go into Le Balzac and have a beer or two and watch strippers. It ended up being four or five beers and we spent the entire evening in the joint. In retrospect it was a pretty stupid waste of time, but at the time it was great. Naked chicks ruled!

(Is this dog a stripper? Are you excited by the possibility, sicko?)

It was a grand evening, ending with my friend propositioning one of the strippers, being turned down, and then us being asked to leave by the bouncers.

That was the true story. The story that we told our friends when we made it back to the hotel was that we were invited into the secret stripper-room where strippers would perform weird and interesting acts of debauchery. If they liked you.

All of our friends, of course, wanted to visit Le Balzac first thing the next day. Eventually we had to fess up, but we had them going for most of the day.

We all went to Le Balzac again anyway, secret room or no.

And that’s my stripper story. Sure, my friends and I continued to go to strip joints afterwards, but it’s never the same as the first time.

While I was living in Eugene, one of my female co-workers liked to go to strip clubs and invited me to join her one day after work. I hadn’t been since college, about ten-years in the past at that point, and the prospect of going with a woman was too intriguing to pass up, so we went. Honestly it was a hell of a lot more fun going with a woman than with a bunch of horny teenagers.

Would I go to a strip club today? Honestly, I don’t have any desire to go to one. Besides the ethical issues, strip clubs are all flash and no substance. I would go again under the right conditions, with the right friends, who have the right attitude about it, but it’s not something that’s on any to-do list of mine.

Besides, there’s always the internet.