Tales of mythical creatures like the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot are well known and widespread. However, there lies a mostly forgotten sea monster in the depths of Saint John’s own Reversing Falls- the Ug Wug. For years, Brian Finlay has been building a Wug Universe with a show, movie, and book all about his version of the legendary creature. 

History of the Ug Wug

Evidence of the Ug Wug myth begins in the 1950s. The Saint John Free Public Library card catalogue cites David D. Archibald’s article Rio de la Vuelta: “Mythological creature resembling both a salmon and seal which inhabits the waters near the Reversing Falls.” His article includes spooky tales like a man drowning in Saint John’s Lawlor Lake, and a diver who went exploring in the falls and was later found dead.  

Reversing Falls earned its’ name by being a phenomenon. The river water surges into the Bay of Fundy during low tide, causing whirlpools and rapids. While the Bay’s tide rises, Reversing Fall’s current briefly slows and then completely reverses during high tide. Archibald identified the caves beneath Reversing Falls to be the Ug Wug’s home. 

Mythical creature or carefully curated tourist attraction? According to Archibald, sightings of the Ug Wug date back to the time of the sailor Samuel de Champlain. Hunters were the first to catch a glimpse of the Ug Wug. The creature was described as 30 metres long, with large red eyes and a huge appetite. Archibald claimed it was an Inuit legend, and the name Ug Wug meant “the friendly animal” in their language, although there is no language with that translation. He said the Ug Wug can still be spotted on a moonlit evening during the lowering tide. A wall of the Reversing Falls Trading Post sported a mural of the Ug Wug in the early 50s, though it was covered up after visitor complaints.

As for other mentions of the Ug Wug, Frances Helyar toured schools in the late 1990s and early 2000s with her Ug Wug song: 

 Once upon a time many years ago 

Lived a creature, so they say 

Hidden in the caves of Reversing Falls 

Who knows? He could still be there today 

Ug Wug, Ug Wug, lies in the sun or he goes for a swim 

Ug Wug Wug Wug, oh how I wish I could see him 

The legend is also kept alive through Saint John’s David Goss, author of many books and articles all about New Brunswick. He includes tales of the Ug Wug during his free community Walk n’ Talks in Saint John. 

 The Spark of a Universe

Brian Finlay is a filmmaker, animator, writer, and illustrator. His resume includes over 23 years of experience: working as a Disney artist, making video game art, and more. His family runs Drawn To It Studios, where they can develop and produce their creative visions. Some previous projects are a preschool 2D animation series called Mimsy and Dusty, and a docuseries on animation.  

Before learning about the Ug Wug, Finlay was planning a documentary on Bigfoot sightings for his next project. However, he was inspired by Julia Wright’s CBC article on the legend of the Ug Wug. Finlay thought this concept would be a fun experience with local lore. He quickly drafted a pitch, which was accepted by Bell Fibe TV1.

In the show, titled Ug Wug, a magical friendship is formed between the sea monster and a little girl named Ariel. Unfortunately, the Ug Wug catches the attention of a businessman who wants to capture her. It’s up to Ariel to save the day. The show is one season of seven ten-minute episodes, released in 2022.  

Finlay referred to the show as “a very fun bonding experience for the family”, as many of his family members played a role- some literally. The main character Ariel was played by Finlay’s youngest daughter, Ariel. Her characters’ mother was played by her real-life mom, Kris Ann Finlay. Quinn, his youngest son, was featured in the show, and his daughter Grace helped with audio recordings. Finlay’s son Evan was the director of photography, tech, and camera operations. He also did all the filming. 

Filming took place in New Brunswick, mostly on a private beach in Chamcook. Finlay explained that the Ug Wug was unavailable at the time of filming, so they had to add her in in post-production. To do so, they filmed shots on set with a giant florescent green paper-mâché head, sculpted by Saint John’s Melissa Kennedy. This head was mounted at the end of a broom pole and represented the Ug Wug.  

The next step was adding the Ug Wug with CGI. Finlay aimed for a look similar to Disney’s Pete Dragon. His version of the Ug Wug wouldn’t be quite as terrifying. He explained that he wanted kids to fall in love with the Ug Wug, not be haunted by a scary sea monster close to home. The technology involved included camera tracking and digitizing shots in 3D software. Finlay had only ever done on a smaller scale. This was much more advanced, and there was a practically nonexistent budget. Their hardware took a dangerously long time to render each frame. However, a citizen in Rothesay was happy to donate and upgrade their render station, which helped post-production immensely. 

Expanding the Universe

After releasing the series, Finlay edited it into a full-length film and put it on YouTube and Tubi. He has many plans for the Wug Universe that add to the magical lore, like having more Ug Wugs and exploring their backstories. Finlay has even written a script for a sequel movie, a kind of “Spy Kids meets Saint John”. He explained that unfortunately, making a film is expensive, and requires a lot of people. So, he turned to a more cost-effective way of expanding the Wug Universe: books. 

The first book, Ug Wug, was released late September. It’s written by Brian and Kris Ann Finlay, with Brian’s illustrations and Kris Ann’s painting. The book tells the same story as the show and the movie, and it’s geared towards preschool and early readers. The book is available on Amazon and at the Partridge Island Publishing store in Area 506. Brian explained that this is just the beginning of a children’s book series about the new adventures of Ug Wug. 

As of late, the family has been busy promoting their new book through book signings at Area 506. There is also Ug Wug merch available on their Drawn To It website. Finlay hopes that interest in the Wug Universe will lead to more possibilities for filmmaking in Port City. 

Finlay had a few words of advice for any people in Saint John looking to make their own projects. He said that in Saint John, people with creative ideas are not always encouraged, and it can be a black abyss of no progress. “Don’t be afraid to pivot when what you really really want to do isn’t working, when you’re really hitting a wall; compromise on the how and you still might be able to tell your story.” He then gave an example of one of his pivots: making more Ug Wug movies isn’t financially possible, but he can tell these stories through books. “You don’t have to give up on the dream.”