Built in 1808, the Toronto Islands’ Gibraltar Point Lighthouse is the oldest surviving lighthouse on the Great Lakes and the second oldest in Canada. It’s also the setting of a centuries-old ghost story retold on the 2026 Haunted Canada coin. Its first keeper, John Paul Radelmüller, tended the beacon through fierce gales and even the turmoil of the War of 1812. But according to legend, on a blustery night in January 1815, the dedicated keeper mysteriously vanished from his post without a trace. Some say he met a violent end, his remains buried near the stone tower he so carefully maintained, and that his spirit never left the tower. Since then, visitors have reported strange lights, unexplained footsteps, and even a shadowy figure—like the ghostly silhouette that appears on this coin under black light. HST/GST exempt.

The Design:
Haunted Canada: Some stories glow brighter in the dark. This ghost story—one of Toronto’s oldest haunted tales—is brought to life by black-light paint technology that, when activated, reveals a glowing lighthouse and a shadowy figure wandering the grounds on a dark and stormy night.