River John

River John
Physical characteristics
Mouth	Northumberland Strait
• elevation	sea level

This article is about the river. See River John, Nova Scotia for the article about the village.

River John is a river in Nova Scotia. Draining the extreme western part of Pictou County, it flows into Amet Sound on the Northumberland Strait at River John, a village which takes its name from the river. The Mi’kmaq name is Kajeboogwek (“flowing through desert or solitary place”). An early name was Deception River. Its present name is believed to derive from Rivière Jaune, an Acadian name, though it may also derive from nearby Cap Jean (now Cape John). DesBarres called it River John in his Atlantic Neptune.

Permanent settlement began in the late eighteenth century. In the nineteenth century, the river was an important scene of wooden ship building. In 1884, the largest ship ever built in Pictou County, the 1,687-ton Warrior was launched by the Kitchin yard, while rival Archibald MacKenzie launched the 1,574-ton Caldera that same year.

The upper reaches began to be settled in the early nineteenth century. Communities situated on the river include Welsford (formerly River John Village), West Branch River John, Diamond, Loganville, Marshville, and Dalhousie Settlement.

The River John is tidal for part of its length.

External links

• Photo of blackfish stranding on the shores of River John, 1918

45°45′16.7″N 63°2′39.9″W