Episode 2: The Cane

What Happened to Holly Bartlett

In March of 2010, 31-year-old Holly Bartlett was found unconscious underneath the MacKay Bridge in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She died in hospital a short time later from her injuries. Investigators ruled her death an accident, calling Holly – who was blind – drunk and disoriented. But her family has never understood just what happened to Holly that night. Now, friends like her former orientation & mobility instructor Peter Parsons, are trying to get to the bottom of it. In this episode, host Maggie Rahr talks with Peter, and with Holly’s older sister Kim, about how Holly got around the city while blind. We examine how Holly relied on her white cane, which wasn’t found until almost two days later. We’ll go behind the making of What Happened to Holly Bartlett to talk with TV show researcher Greg Jackson, and we’ll meet Halifax journalist Tim Bousquet, who had a hand in bringing Holly’s case to national attention. Finally, Maggie will head to Holly’s old apartment complex to see if she can track down anyone who knew Holly personally.