Sissiboo River

Sissiboo River
Sissiboo River, Weymouth, Nova Scotia
Location
CountryCanada
RegionNova Scotia
DistrictDigby County
Physical characteristics
SourceChain of lakes (First through Ninth Lakes)
 • locationnear the Annapolis County border
MouthSt. Mary's Bay
 • location
near New Edinburgh
Length97 km (60 mi)
Basin size
596 km2 (230 sq mi)

The Sissiboo River is a river located in Digby County, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Etymology

The origins of the name "Sissiboo" are not known. The most credible is a derivation from the Mi'kmaq word for river, "Seboo."[1] Isiah Wilson states that the name derives from a combination of the French numeral six (pronounced as seeks) and hibou (pronounced eeboo) meaning owl; the story being that a Frenchman and a First Nations person were on the river and observed six owls flying over, though Hamilton describes this story as "apocryphal".[2][3] Another story is that the village at the mouth of the river was originally called Sissiboo, after first nation word meaning Big River, but it was changed to Weymouth as the settlers who arrived there came from Weymouth in Massachusetts.[4]

Course

The river flows out of a chain of lakes near the border with Annapolis County, named respectively, First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Lakes.[5] The Sissiboo River follows a winding course, draining a large area and passing through the former lumbering communities of Weymouth Falls and Weymouth Mills.[6][7] The river travels for 97 kilometres (60 mi) and drains an area of 596 square kilometres (230 sq mi).[8][9]

The Sissiboo becomes tidal at Weymouth and its estuary is called Weymouth Harbour.[10] The river empties into St. Mary's Bay.[11]

Infrastructure

Trunk 1 crosses the river in Weymouth.[12] An inactive Dominion Atlantic Railway bridge was demolished in 2012.[13] Further downstream, Highway 101 crosses near the fishing community of New Edinburgh.[14][15]

The river currently is obstructed by four dams, three of which are used to generate hydroelectricity: Weymouth Falls, Sissiboo Falls, which were built between 1958 and 1962, and Fourth Lake, which was built in 1983.[16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Frame, Elizabeth (1892). A list of Micmac names of places, rivers, etc., in Nova Scotia . Cambridge, MA: John Wilson and Son. OCLC 3506998 – via Wikisource.
  2. ↑ Wilson, Isiah (1900). A Geography and History of the County of Digby, Nova Scotia. Halifax, Nova Scotia: Holloway Bros. p. 7. OCLC 18583703.
  3. ↑ Hamilton, Wiliam Baillie (1996). Place names of Atlantic Canada. Toronto [Ont.]: University of Toronto press. p. 403. ISBN 0802075703.
  4. ↑ Nova Scotia Tour Book: an official guide to the highways of Nova Scotia. Halifax: Nova Scotia Travel Bureau, Department of Trade and Industry. 1959. p. 8. OCLC 1435603396.
  5. ↑ Wilson, Isiah (1900). A Geography and History of the County of Digby, Nova Scotia. Halifax, Nova Scotia: Holloway Bros. p. 8. OCLC 18583703.
  6. ↑ Menon, A.; Baxter, A. (1975). "Bacteriological survey of the French Shore and the Sissiboo River area of Nova Scotia (Nova Scotia Shellfish Area no. 16)" (PDF). publications.gc.ca. p. 8. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  7. ↑ Johnson, Ralph (1986). Forests of Nova Scotia : a history. Halifax: Four East Publications. p. 115. ISBN 0920427081.
  8. ↑ "Daily Discharge Graph for SISSIBOO RIVER NEAR WEYMOUTH (01DB001) [NS]". wateroffice.ec.gc.ca. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Discover the Sissiboo retreat". www.sissibooretreat.ca. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  10. ↑ Nova Scotia pilot : Bay of Fundy, coasts of Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island. Washington: United States Hydrographic Office. 1916. p. 154. OCLC 13691265.
  11. ↑ Leslie, Scott. "An undersea world teeming with life". Saltscapes Magazine. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  12. ↑ Orkin, David (2013). Nova Scotia. Chalfont St Peter: Bradt Travel Guides Ltd. p. 194. ISBN 9781841624549.
  13. ↑ "History". www.weymouthnovascotia.ca. Retrieved May 7, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Five Year Highway Improvement Plan 2024-2025 edition" (PDF). novascotia.ca. p. 26. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  15. ↑ "Nova Scotia" (PDF). www.bridgewater.ca. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  16. ↑ "Renewal of the Water Approval for the Sissiboo Hydro System" (PDF). www.clarenovascotia.com. November 30, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2026.

44°24′44.6″N 66°0′21.2″W / 44.412389°N 66.005889°W / 44.412389; -66.005889

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