Looking back at Digby County history
From 1960
There was word that a new vessel could be on the way for the Digby-Saint John ferry service. The Canadian Pacific Railway, which operated the service at the time, was “studying a possible replacement” for the Princess Helene, the Digby Courier reported in early November 1960. The matter had been raised in Ottawa by a CPR official during an appearance before a royal commission on transportation. Replacing the vessel had been discussed before, including a year or so earlier during a visit by CPR officials to Saint John, but there had been no definitive announcement since that time.
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The Digby Board of Trade was among those calling for the liberalization of liquor laws in the province to permit the sale of alcohol in hotels and dining establishments. The board cited figures that said about 10 per cent of town taxes in Digby were paid by hotels, motels and restaurants that catered “almost exclusively to the tourist trade” and that 50 per cent of the working summer population depended on tourism. The commission hearing the submissions was told that changes to liquor legislation should be at the provincial level and not by local option.
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“Runaway truck hits building.” That was the headline over a newspaper item about an incident in Digby in which a vehicle that had been parked by its owner rolled down the street, crashing into the Acadian Lines bus terminal, “tearing a sizable hole in the building,” the story said. There were no injuries. Fortunately, the paper said, there was no traffic or pedestrians in the area at the time of the incident, which occurred on a Sunday evening.
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After some wet weather, a water shortage in Digby that had been quite serious for a while was over. The town’s water commission had expressed its appreciation to water users for their co-operation during the recent extended shortage.
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Three naval ships were slated to visit Digby, the announcement coming from Mayor Victor Cardoza, who said three vessels from the First Minesweeping Squadron would be here in early November.
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Nearly 150 primary and elementary school teachers had assembled in Digby for what was said to be the first such gathering in the local area. The event’s theme was “new thinking in mathematics.”
From 1971
The Digby area was expected to benefit significantly from highway construction that was planned as part of a $20-million grant to Nova Scotia from the federal government’s Department of Regional Economic Expansion. Work to be carried out locally included the completion of the Bear River bridge project and development of about five kilometres of controlled-access highway in that same part of Digby County. Garnet Brown, Nova Scotia’s highways minister at the time, said the aim of the DREE funding was to spur economic development in areas where the need was greatest by improving highway infrastructure.
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Fee increases were coming to Collège Sainte-Anne. They were slated to take effect for the 197273 academic year and would total $175 for students studying and living on campus. Tuition was slated to go up by $50 to $500. The cost of a room would rise by $75 to $300 and board was to climb by $50 to $450, according to a news item in the Courier from November 1971. Louis R. Comeau, the president of Sainte-Anne’s at the time, said the extra money the college would get would help it provide more bursaries and assistance to students.
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The issue of school board amalgamation was raised during public sessions in Digby of a Nova Scotia royal commission examining the education system, public services and provincialmunicipal relations. At least two of the presenters to the commission said they favoured school board amalgamation at the local level but not at the regional one.
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An official opening had been held for the Clementsport legion’s newly constructed building. The special occasion included a banquet and dance attended by over 200 branch members and guests.