Life revolves around wharf in Digby
Ocean’s bounty brings life, colour to village
DIGBY, NOVA SCOTIA— Walking down the boardwalk to the wharf in Digby, watching the fishing boats in hues of sunshine yellow, turquoise and forest green bob in the harbour and the fishermen going about their business, you see that this is very much a working fishing town.
High up on the hill are the beautiful mansions trimmed like gingerbread houses, built by sea captains and fishermen who scored huge hauls back when that was still possible, and signage around town declares that this is the home of the Digby scallop.
Happily though, there is more to Digby than just seafood.
Riding the Digby ferry from St. John, N.B. is a lovely way to arrive. The ferry, the Princess of Acadia, is pretty retro, but in a good way (there’s a lot more space to move around than on more-modern ferries, and great places for kids to play, too).
On this laid-back, three-hour ride across the Bay of Fundy, Capt. David Doucet is more than happy to show delighted kids around the bridge (ask the purser to take you up), and has been known to even let them drive the ship.
“There have been times when we’ve had far too many kids up here,” he says with a chuckle while showing us around.
Entering Digby, you’ll find pretty much everything centred on the wharf, where the brightly painted fishing boats make the place look postcard pretty. There are restaurants, bars, stores and a little museum to check out. There’s great hiking in the area and you can rent kayaks to get out in the bay.
Digby is a low-key town, except during two annual events.
The Wharf Rat Rally is hugely popular, and runs from Aug. 28 to Sept. 1 this year). More than 8,000 motorbikes roared into town for last year’s event, with lots of bike lovers, temporarily boosting the town’s population from 2,150 to 60,000.
Less raucous but very fun and family orientated is Digby Scallop Days, running from Aug. 7 to 11. A scallop queen is chosen in a pageant, there is a scallop-net knitting contest (with pliers and wire, not needles), a scallop-pie-eating contest, show and shine, scallop-shucking race and other fun festivities. There are also plenty of chances to eat scallops in various forms (the annual church supper is cute).
For a slap-up seafood feast in Digby, hit the Dockside Restaurant and Bar, which is right on the boardwalk and serves up great big fat scallops seared in garlic butter, and fresh fried clams that are so good you’ll finish the impossibly large serving .
As you’re driving out of town, stop at Kalen’s Take-Out truck, where the seafood is fresh and delicious (the scallop rolls are excellent, but you might want two as they seem to disappear very quickly). There are some fun road trips to take. You’ll want to explore Bear River, which has a really good arts and crafts gallery, The Flight of Fancy, owned by local artist Rob Buckland-Nicks. You can often find him painting in a studio upstairs, and he’s happy to tell you more about the town and who lives there. There’s also a café, restaurant and a few antique stores to check out. Past Bear River is Annapolis Royal, which was settled in1605, and is a charming little town full of galleries, cafes and boutiques. The stately gingerbread-style homes are brightly painted and very charming. Pick up delicious pastries and coffee at the German Bakery, then walk over to Fort Saint Anne to sit on the hill overlooking the Annapolis Basin for an impromptu picnic. The Annapolis Royal Historical Gardens are quite lovely to walk around, but if you’re looking for thrills, then drive out to Upper Clements Park, an exciting amusement park much loved by local kids. Brier Island is a charming destination to search out when in Digby. It takes about an hour to get out there, and requires two small ferries (each spend 10 minutes on the water). There are several parks to stop at and explore, including Balancing Rock Trail, on Long Island, which has an impressively huge rock hanging precariously over the ocean. You’ll also find the hidden gem, Lavena’s Catch Café, which offers up some of the best seafood in the province
What Brier Island is best known for is whale watching. Shelley Lonergan, research co-ordinator and manager of Brier Island Whale and Seabird Cruises, says that just off the island are some of the best whale watching opportunities you’ll get anywhere. The waters are inhabited by Minke, Finbacks, Humpbacks and Right whales. “When it comes to the humpbacks, we know each one by name,” she says.