Vernon Oickle

Vernon Oickle is a Canadian writer and journalist from Nova Scotia. Born in Liverpool, Oickle began his career in journalism at The Liverpool Advance. He was the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012, and was inducted into the Atlantic Journalism Hall of Fame in 2020. Oickle has written extensively on regional folklore and ghost stories, publishing over 40 books across his career.

Biography Vernon Oickle was born in Liverpool, Nova Scotia. He graduated high school in 1979, subsequently moving to Lethbridge, Alberta, where he attended the Lethbridge Community College, graduating in 1982 with an honours diploma in journalism. After graduating, Oickle returned to Nova Scotia and began his career in journalism at The Liverpool Advance, where he was later appointed editor. After leaving The Advance in 1994, Oickle became the editor of The Bridgewater Bulletin and The Lunenburg County Progress Bulletin in Bridgewater, a position he held until 2014. He was the recipient of the 2013 Best Local Editorial Award from the Canadian Community Newspapers Association.

In 2012, Oickle was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. The same year, he received the Golden Quill award presented by the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors, becoming the third Canadian to win the award. He was inducted into the Atlantic Journalism Hall of Fame in 2020.

Oickle has written extensively on regional folklore and ghost stories, publishing his 47th book in 2025. He was invited by Acadia Broadcasting to start a new column on YourSouthShore.ca in 2026, writing a monthly feature on Nova Scotian topics called In My Backyard.

Publications