Looking back at Digby County history
FROM 1962
“Lost boys found.” That was the headline over a story about two Tiverton boys, aged eight and
11, who had become lost while looking for a place to set rabbit snares. The two were said to have left home around 1 p.m. A few hours later, when they failed to return, a search began, with about 100 people helping out. At about 9 p.m. the boys were located in a dense thicket about a mile from home. They reportedly had tried to find Bear Cove Road but grew tired and laid down for a short time. Both were frightened and cold and had some bad scratches about their hands and faces, but otherwise they were okay, the story said.
Plans for a new hospital for the Digby area were being finalized and it was hoped that in the near future, more definite steps would be taken towards the development of a new facility. That was the word from hospital spokesperson F.C. Purdy, who had showed plans for the new hospital at a meeting of the Brotherhood of Grace United Church. Stressing the need for a new facility, Purdy said the existing hospital was overcrowded and illequipped to deal with the area’s health-care needs. Much difficult planning and many committee meetings had gone into the new hospital project, Purdy said.
There was talk of an industrial development survey being carried out for the Digby area and Clare, the matter having been discussed at a meeting of the Digby Board of Trade. The survey would look at factors like population, labour force, social conditions, climate, transportation facilities and taxation. The survey – if and when completed – would be made available to government agencies and business organizations at home and abroad. The idea behind the initiative, according to a story in the Courier, was that “in unity there is strength” and that any economic growth in one part of the area would benefit the area as a whole.
Three crew members of a scallop-fishing boat – Earl II – were said to be okay, but their vessel had sunk in the Bay of Fundy while being towed after running into trouble. While fishing, the boat had lost its stuffing box and it was later being towed by another fishing boat when it sank just off Point Prim light. The emergency crew that normally would have responded to help the stricken vessel was assisting another boat at the time, a newspaper item said.
A new ice-skating season was underway in Digby and it reportedly had gotten off to a recordbreaking start. Never before had the Digby Forum seen so many people turn out for the first day of the season. Of particular interest, a newspaper article said, was the large number of youngsters who were there.
FROM 1973
The Princess of Acadia would continue its twice-daily sailings between Digby and Saint John after all. Canadian Pacific Railway – operators of the service at the time – had informed the Nova Scotia and federal governments it was planning to reduce the service to one sailing per day starting Nov. 11, but the word now was that the two daily trips would be maintained. Premier Gerald Regan had spoken to Transport Minister Jean Marchand “at some length” about CPR’s planned service reduction. The premier said he had stressed to Marchand the importance of the Digby-Saint John ferry to the region.
Four people were running for one seat on Digby town council, with a byelection scheduled for late November. The candidates were Patrick Comeau, Howard Cottreau, John E. Keen and
Frank Mackintosh. The byelection had been called because only two candidates had offered to fill three council seats in October’s election. (Comeau would end up winning the byelection by 15 votes over Frank Mackintosh – 178 to 163 – with Cottreau and Keen third and fourth, respectively.)
Also in 1973:
• Golden Girl was the name of a 46-foot-long ketch built at the A.F. Theriault boat shop in Meteghan River for a buyer in Seattle. (Price: $60,000).
• Gerry Campbell was the new president of the Digby legion, succeeding Ralph Wright. Campbell had been president two years earlier.
• An official opening for Tideview Terrace was held Nov. 24.