Digby

Digby is a town of 2,000 people (2016) in Nova Scotia.

Understand
Digby is a blue collar town that is home to a fleet of sea scallop trawlers. It has a number of dive bars, and waterfront patio restaurants serving the fleet's famous catch. It was named after Admiral Robert Digby.

History
Digby was called Oositookun, meaning "ear of land" by the Mi'kmaq First Nations (Aboriginal) people. A small group of New England Planters settled in the area of the town in the 1760s, naming it Conway. Digby was settled and surveyed as a town in June 1783 by the United Empire Loyalists under the leadership of Sir Robert Digby.

The town developed a sizable shipping fleet in the 19th century. The town became an important regional transportation centre in the 1890s with the arrival of the Dominion Atlantic Railway. Trains connected with a series of steamships such as the City of Monticello and later the SS Princess Helene.

By car
It is a 220-km drive along Highway 101 from Halifax.

By ferry
If you're travelling from southern New Brunswick, your best bet is to take Bay Ferries from Saint John. There are two crossings daily from mid-June to mid-October, these take 2½ hours on average. During the rest of the year there is at least one crossing daily and they usually take 2 hr 45 min. $37 per adult passenger and $119 for a car (April 2017). Book online, and check on at the terminal to get your boarding pass when you arrive. Restaurant, cafeteria and wifi on board.

Buy
Many, but not all, of Digby's shops and restaurants close during the off-season. This is roughly from Canadian Thanksgiving (mid-October) to the beginning of June.

Eat
The town of Digby is well known for its sea scallops, which are celebrated in mid-August every year during the Digby Scallop Days Festival.

Scallops are, however, harvested year-round. Many restaurants are open only during the tourist season beginning in early May.



Sleep
There are a number of motels and B&Bs in and around the town.