It has been another nice fall in Nova Scotia. We weren’t able to make it to the Celtic Colours festival, but Basil did enjoy a walk with Jenny in the woods:

Basil also met some new friends in River John:

“They aren’t very talkative,” noted Basil. What a joker that donkey is!

We are in Bissell Park in the middle of the village where the main road crosses the river. This park gets its name from Anna Sutherland Bissell, who was born in River John in 1846 but moved early in life to Michigan with her parents. There she married Melville Bissell inventor of the Bissell carpet cleaner company. Upon her husband’s death she refused to sell the company and became America’s first female corporate CEO.

Also in Bissell Park is a memorial to Chalmers Bigney, the River John strongman. At the age of 22 he reportedly lifted 3800 pounds with his back. He traveled all over Nova Scotia and PEI giving demonstrations of his strength at festivals and local gatherings. He had a great love for animals and risked his life on more than one occasion to carry out rescues. At one time a horse was attempting to cross the river and fell through the ice. John immediately set about placing himself under the horse, lifted the animal and carried him to the shore.

Tags: where is basil, basil, river john, nova scotia, bissell, pumpkin people, travel, tourism, anna sutherland, chalmers bigney, strongman, fall