This grainy image has very little information surrounding it. All that is said about it is that it was taken in 1923 in Cobalt, Ontario, and is supposedly of Old Yellow Top - a Bigfoot-like creature that is said to roam Ontario. Old Yellow Top is said to be called such because, unlike other Bigfoot sightings, this one always has blond colored hair on its head. It is thought to be the oldest known photograph of a Bigfoot-like creature.

Also found on Facebook:

“In 1909 a group of miners at the Violet Mine in Cobalt, Ontario, Canada, observed a tall, man-like creature. Its entire body was covered with brown hair, except for the top of its head, which had a thick mane of bright yellow hair. All of the witnesses agreed on the appearance of the creature, but nobody knew exactly what it was.

The account made its way into the local papers, where reporters quickly nicknamed the mysterious creature “Old Yellow Top.”

For a decade and a half, there were no further confirmed sightings. Then, 17 years later, Old Yellow Top made his second major appearance. Again the witnesses were a group of miners working a local mine outside of Cobalt. They observed what they thought was a bear, except it appeared to be picking berries. One of the miners threw a stone at the creature.

Another miner, Mr. Wilson, said, “It kind of stood up and growled at us. Then it ran away. It sure was like no bear that I have ever seen. Its head was kind of yellow, and the rest of it was black like a bear, all covered with hair.”

Following this, Old Yellow Top seemed to disappear, until 23 years later, when he returned. On April 16, 1946, a woman and her son were walking along the railroad tracks that led into Cobalt when she saw a hairy, man-like creature with a head of bright blond hair walk “almost like a man” into the forest.

In 1976, yet another 30 years later, Old Yellow Top made one final appearance. A bus driver and 27 miners on their way to work the Cobalt mine observed Old Yellow Top as the creature crossed the road in front of them.

Says the bus driver, Aimee Latreille, “At first I thought it was a big bear.

But then it turned to face the headlights and I could see some light hair almost down to its shoulders It couldn’t have been a bear ..

The 1976 sighting of Old Yellow Top, if true, would mean that the creature was more than 70 years old...”

Excerpt from the book titled BIGFOOT, YETI, AND OTHER APE-MEN by PRESTON DENNETT

Ontario Cryptozoology. an abandoned blog. I could not find it continued somewhere else. But, it might have become larger, focusing on all of Canada. This site only had two posts about the topic, others were about forming a group.

Monday, June 16, 2008 Igopogo

Everyones heard the story of there being a creature that lives in Lake Simcoe. Most descriptions of said creature state that its about 12 feet in length, has a long neck, and a head resembling that of a dog. A few descriptions also claim that it has fins.

Not too many pictures around of this creature, however floating around somewhere is a video that has been seen by some very big names. The most I can find on this video is a description so here it is. "According to the unnamed videographer, while a friend was preparing for a hydroplane race, he suffered a mechanical breakdown and was forced to pause for repairs near the south end of the lake. As the racer lifted the engine hatch in order to assess the damage, a large animal suddenly surfaced directly in front of him - stunning the racer as well as the spectators on the shoreline. The viewers began to panic as the creature slowly lowered its head into the water. It continued to stare at the racer before disappearing completely"

any thoughts?

Tuesday, July 8, 2008 Lake Erie Monster

Since August of 2001, an unknown, aquatic predator has been savagely attacking swimmers - especially those unlucky enough to go swimming off the Pump House beach, near Port Dover, Ontario. In a span of less that 24 hours - no less than three people were bitten by a large, unseen animal.

Dr. Harold Hynscht treated three patients recently who suffered major bites on their legs after swimming in Lake Erie beside the Port Dover pump house. All were in about a meter of water when the attacks occurred. Hynscht, a diver with extensive knowledge of aquatic life, is at a loss to identify the animal that caused them. The bites were not minor. Six inches separated the wounds inflicted by the top and bottom teeth, suggesting the animal has a large mouth.

It wasn't long before rumors began to spread through Port Dover and its neighbouring communities, regarding the source of these vicious attacks. Wildly speculative theories from a rogue school of piranhas, which may have been released into the wild after they grew too big for their owner's aquarium, to a baby nessie-like creature which may have been swimming closer to shore in search of prey. Other researchers have suggest that the animals may be similar to the eel-like cryptids which allegedly haunt Newfoundland's Crescent Lake.

In Simcoe County the most famous cryptid is without question the sea serpent said to be swimming the waters of Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching: Igopogo.

The name Igopogo is said to be inspired by the slightly more famous “Ogopogo”, a similar sea serpent native to Okanogan Lake in British Columbia. Igopogo is also known as “Kempenfelt Kelly” or “Beaverton Bessie”, depending on where they are seen. Sightings of the creature date back to at least the 1860s with first and second-hand accounts often describing a large, serpentine creature measuring anywhere from 6 to 15 meters in length. Its body is noted to be dark, and it is said to move in a snake-like manner just below the surface of the water. Some sightings even describe the long neck and head of the creature breaking the water’s surface. Eyewitnesses are often boaters, anglers, or local residents who catch a glimpse of the beast while enjoying time on the lakes.

One of the more recent sightings of Igopogo took place near Jackson’s Point on Lake Simcoe. Bradford resident Neil Lathangue and his family saw the creature while boating. This encounter made headlines across the county in the summer of 1963:

Although stories of Igopogo have always been popular with locals, skeptics often dismiss the sightings as misidentifications of common animals native to the lakes. Lake Simcoe is home to several species of large fish including the lake sturgeon, Canada’s largest freshwater fish. Lake sturgeon can grow up to 2 metres long and weigh over 180kg. They have a ridged back which gives them an almost pre-historic look. Although once numerous in Simcoe County, the lake sturgeon is now an endangered species and fishing for them is highly illegal. Given their size, appearance, and former presence in the area they have been cited as a possible explanation for the Igopogo sightings of the past.

Source: Simcoe Country Cryptids