We started the morning by further exploring the manor of Robert Borden. Sitting in the overstuffed chair in front of a massive solid wood desk, I could only wonder about the decisions he must have had to ponder that may affect us to this very day. One of the major issues he faced was the introduction of military conscription during WW 1. Although France was under serious threat from Germany at the time, it is interesting that in Quebec, the opposition to conscription was so vehement, that it resulted in riots. By the end of April 1918 the rioting resulted in over 150 casualties and over $300,000 in damages (a lot of money today and a huge fortune then). For more about the Conscription Crisis of 1917 (click here).
Continuing to follow the saga of the Acadians, our next destination is Parrsboro. Although it is only about 40 km away as the crow flies, the overland route was about 250 km. As we are wont to do, we journeyed though the small communities that dot the secondary highways and roads.
We have discovered yet another incredible motorcycle route as we followed the Bay of Fundy as we wove our way east, south, north, north west, north(ish), north, south east, north west and on and on, around the Bay of Fundy to our destination of Parrsboro. This fantastic motorcycle route is called the Glooscap Trail. (Get your motor runnin’).
Just beyond Parrsboro is a wonderful place named Ottawa House by the Sea. We were looking for more pages in the story of the Acadians. And we found it.
There is a tract of land near here that sold in 1845, about 100 years after the Expulsion of the Acadians. There was a prominent geographically feature that was know locally as the “French Dyke”. More proof that the Acadians were in this areas also.
The house is the former home of Sir Charles Tupper, one of the Fathers of Confederation and Canada’s 6th Prime Minister. As a physician he was known to set out on snowshoes in blinding blizzards to attend to the ill (what a concept, a prime minister who actually served the people’s needs). For more about Charles Tupper (click here). The house was staggering with about 20(ish) rooms including a multi-room maid’s quarters, a children’s classroom, back stairs to the kitchen, huge visiting rooms, a dumb waiter and the list goes on. We were busy absorbing as much of this artifact filled home, reading all the placards, pushing buttons, watching short videos, etc., when it happened. For more about Ottawa House by the Sea (click here).
( I have to add an aside to Greg’s comments…I saw a poster on the wall talking about how the NovaSCotia Governor put an ad in the New England paper in 1758 saying their was land in the Parrsboro area for settlement. Many people came ..called the New England Planters.. And one of the common names of the people who came was Allen).
We discovered another piece of mostly lost Canadian history. A point in history that was going to have a major effect on Alberta, Canada, and for that matter the entire world. Another huge Canadian contribution to the world that as a nation we have mostly forgotten. The gents name was Abraham Gesner.
This Canadian physician and amateur geologist brought light to the world long before Edison. In the year 1846 he invented a process to refine liquid fuel from coal, bitumen and oil shale (starting to sound familiar?). Initially it was called coal oil and then kerosene. Heis credited with developing the process that gave way to the entire world’s petroleum industry. And it all started here in a little place on the Bay of Fundy, Parrsboro! To read more about Abraham Gesner (click here).
One more note of personal significance. Buuudd (our big red truck) turned 100,000 miles (160,000 km) at the exit to Windsor, NS.
Back to Charles Tupper who was born in Amherst, Nova Scotia. So off we go to Amherst for the night.
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