Looking back at Digby County history
From 1960
A week or so before the official arrival of winter, a snowstorm hit the Digby area, the effects of which included blocked roads, school closures and a delayed arrival of the Princess Helène ferry from Saint John. The “crippling” storm arrived on a Monday and was part of a system that affected the Eastern seaboard, according to a local newspaper story. Schools were shut down shortly after 10 a.m. Monday and didn’t reopen until Wednesday. Roads in the area were blocked due to the heavy, drifting snow, the newspaper reported. The storm delayed the docking of the ferry from New Brunswick. About 100 passengers reportedly were on board the vessel at the time. Passengers passed the extra time on the ship by “singing, playing cards and talking,” the paper reported. “Some even managed to get some sleep.”
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Another storm-related story had to do with a fire that broke out about mid-morning on the day of the storm that gutted a structure but which could have been much worse, the paper said. The blaze occurred in a three-storey building belonging to the Maritime National Fish Corp., next to the warehouse of Digby Home Furnishings Ltd. at The Raquette. There had been fears the strong wind might cause the fire to spread to the nearby warehouse and perhaps beyond, but firefighters were able to prevent it from spreading. The blaze was said to have started from a chimney.
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A newspaper item out of Westport said fishermen there had suffered thousands of dollars’ worth of damage to boats and fishing gear due to a series of gales in the first couple of weeks or so of the lobster season. One vessel was said to have “washed ashore from its moorings and was a complete loss.” In the wake of the latest storm, the story said, “fishermen were picking up buoys and trap pieces on the beaches and having them hauled to their fishing shops.”
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The annual Christmas party at the Digby Forum was scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 20, and would include performers from HMCS Cornwallis. As reported in the Courier, “the band from the naval base and a covey of seagoing clowns will entertain the youngsters.” The afternoon event would include a visit from Santa Claus. Following his visit to the forum, it was expected Santa would pay a visit to the Digby hospital “to distribute goodies to the youngsters who are patients there,” the paper said.
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The Town of Digby was offering motorists a Christmas gift in the form of free parking in the town’s main business district between Dec. 16 and Dec. 26. During this time period, the parking meters would be covered and people parking in that area would not have to pay to do so.
Movies playing at Digby’s Capitol theatre included Cash McCall, starring James Garner and Natalie Wood. The movie was billed as a “brand new type of entertainment, 1960s big bright thrilling delight.”
From 1971
A combined 200 years worth of married life was recognized when four Clare couples were honoured during a mass at the St. Bernard Roman Catholic church. Each of the four couples had reached their 50th wedding anniversary in 1971 and a joint celebration had been arranged. Msgr. Austin Burke, bishop of the Diocese of Yarmouth, conducted the mass with Msgr. Nil Theriault, the pastor of the St. Bernard parish. The four couples had received messages of congratulations from, among others, the Canadian prime minister (Pierre Trudeau) and Nova Scotia premier (Gerald Regan).
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A Truro company had been awarded a $69,400 contract to install a movable passenger bridge at the Digby ferry terminal. The contract called for the supply and installation of a movable passenger bridge, including the structural steel and hydraulic and electric lifting systems.
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Digby Regional High School had won the Congress Cup at the Congress Drama Festival in Middleton. It was the first in 18 years since Digby had won this award. DRHS received the 1971 cup for its production Once Upon a Playground, directed by Rupert Haley.
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A charter night had been held for a new Kinsmen Club in Digby. The event was held at CFB Cornwallis, where Gerald Walsh, the club’s president, accepted the charter from George Irving of Galt, Ont., the Kinsmen national treasurer.