Looking back at Digby County history
From 1960
Local legion officials were among those expressing concern about civilian layoffs at HMCS Cornwallis. Telegrams had been sent to a number of government representatives – including MP George Nowlan, as well as the minister of defence – asking Ottawa to reconsider the layoffs. The federal government was said to be looking to cut three per cent of civilian staff in the Atlantic command, but the figure for those affected by the cuts at HMCS Cornwallis was over 20 per cent, according to a local newspaper story at the time.
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There was word that the minesweeper HMCS Thunder was planning to visit Digby. The Hali- fax-based vessel, which had a crew of about 50, was scheduled to come to Digby around the end of March and be in the area for a few days. While in Digby, the Thunder reportedly would be carrying out exercises with new personnel from HMCS Cornwallis.
*** Newspaper readers in the Digby area – and their counterparts across the country – were being asked if they supported capital punishment. The House of Commons was considering legislation that would abolish the death penalty, and the Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association was conducting a poll on the matter. The Digby Courier was among the papers publishing the poll question.
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Work was scheduled to start March 21 on the installation of transmitting equipment to extend the CBC’s French-language radio network in western Nova Scotia. Low-power relay transmitters were to be installed in Meteghan, Digby, Weymouth and Yarmouth. CBC officials hoped to have the transmitters, which had a limited range, in use in early April.
*** Despite inclement weather and the fact that many roads outside Digby had lots of snow on them, a record crowd of nearly 1,500 people had attended the Digby Fire Department Ice Carnival at the Forum, where the evening’s guest of honour was Rosemary Keenan of Fairvale, N.B., who held the title of Miss Canada. Digby Mayor Victor Cardoza was on hand to officially open the event. Mervin Russell of CFBC in Saint John was the evening’s master of ceremonies.
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The Digby Forum was going to stay open an extra week. The ice season was to have ended March 20, but due to a number of factors – including hockey playoffs and an apparent increased interest in skating – the decision was made to extend the season until March 27.
*** Movies playing at the Capitol theatre in March 1960 included Teacher’s Pet, starring Clark Gable and Doris Day, and The Hanging Tree, starring Gary Cooper, Maria Schell and Karl Malden.
From 1971
There was disappointing news for residents of Long and Brier islands, who had hoped they would be getting a new doctor to serve their area but who instead were still waiting. A physician from England reportedly had been looking to move to the community and fill the void left by a previous doctor, but he decided against it, leaving island residents relying on the services of a public health nurse and having to travel to Digby or elsewhere to see a doctor.
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Nova Scotia’s Progressive Conservatives had a new leader in John Buchanan. The 39-year-old Sydney native officially took the helm of the provincial Tories at a leadership convention in Halifax, where he was picked for the job over Gerald Doucet and Roland Thornhill. Buchanan was wellknown in the Digby area, where he had once worked and his wife – the former Mavis Forsyth – was from Bear River.
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A contract had been awarded to Stevens and Fiske Construction Ltd. for ferry terminal work in Digby. The Halifax company had submitted the lowest of four tenders – $206,000 – for the project, which included the construction of a terminal building and control booth. The contract also involved drainage systems, sewage treatment, water work and lighting, among other things.
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The Digby Municipal School Board had decided that its next meeting would include a presentation on the pros and cons of school board amalgamation. There were three school boards in Digby County at the time.