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Transportation:

Since the beginning of settlement four hundred years ago we have depended upon the sea for transport. Rev. Allan Massie Hill, an early historian, tells us that the first horse in the county was the survivor of a shipwreck off Centreville in circa 1800. We have to assume that shanks pony was the main mode of land transport before that time.

Oxen were once commonly used to move goods and people. When the ferry arrived from Saint John smaller vessels would carry people and freight down Digby Neck and stagecoaches travelled wherever roads existed. The arrival of the train widened people's horizons and the whole province was suddenly within everyone's reach. The first automobile appeared in Digby in 1906, or 1910 and transport was never the same from that time onwards.

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On board a 'Bluenose Express'
1900
Digby & Digby County, Nova Scotia

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Ox carts were used by merchants to deliver goods. They were also used as public transport. This picture is of the "Blue Nose Express".

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Tourists on a buggy ride
1900
Digby & Digby County, Nova Scotia

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A buggy ride was a tourist attraction in the late 19th century. It was the normal mode of transportation at the time.

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The Golf Links, Pines Hotel
1910
Digby, Nova Scotia

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George Wilson is reputed to have owned the first car (Ford) in Digby which was bought either in 1906, or 1910.

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Time Line:

1870
With the completion of the railway the Station Agent assumed the duties as "ex-officio operator of the telegraph. The Digby Station played an intergral role in Digby's early telegraph system.

1873
Work on the section between Yarmouth and Digby began.

1879
The Western Counties Railway (WCR) was building a line between Yarmouth and Annapolis Royal.

1889
It was suggested that Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) enter Halifax over its own lines and that a car-ferry be put into service across the Bay of Fundy from Saint John, New Brunswick to Digby, Nova Scotia.

1890
There was a station in Digby as early as the 1890's. As mentioned in the Digby Courier "The respectable and showy sign placed near the railway station...".

There was talk of putting a new train station on the Green Point up around the Pines Hotel.

1891
The "missing link" was formally opened and direct communication by rail established between Yarmouth and Digby and the rest of the province.

The Dominion Government intervened and "as a public service" spent $1 million dollars to finish the "missing link".

The WCR had run out of money leaving a 22-mile unfinshed gap between Digby and Annapolis Royal. This gap was later known as the "missing link".

1893
The WCR was re-organized as the Yarmouth and Annapolis Railway. Due to financial losses it was sold in 1894 to the Windsor and Annapolis Royal Railway, which, by act of Federal Parliament, became the DAR that same year.

1894
The first revenue train trip from Halifax-Yarmouth and return took place October 1st. This was done in nine hours.

1895
A propsed extension of railway lines to the new Digby Pier was under fire with Yarmouth and Annapolis, who were feearful of losing their terminal status, opposing them. Mayor Shreve acted quickly and petitioned the government to allow the rail lines on the pier. Petition pointed to the original grant and permision to lay rails was granted.

1899
The Digby station narrowly escaped burning in the fire was destroyed a large portion of the downtown area.

1910-11
A second train station was built. It was located on the opposite side of the tracks of where the new station was later built.

1911
The Dominion Atlantic Railway (DAR) continued operations until the CPR leased all the DAR facilities (with the exception of Yarmouth's steamship business) for 999 years.

1912
CPR controlled operations and began modernizing locomotive and steamship services c. 1920.

1919
The third station was built with the official opening in 1920.

1990
Monday, January 8th, one of the last passenger trains stopped in Digby enroute to Halifax.

1991
The tracks were pulled up.

1994
The Digby train station was torn down on Tuesday, July 12th.

Since 1990 the fate of the Digby train station had been undecided. However, years of discussions and letter writing appear to be over with the Digby Town Council's decision last week to write Canadian Pacific asking that it demolish the station building and replace Prince William Street in accordance with the 1920 agreement between the council and the railway.

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Train Vye's Restaurant
1891
First Avenue, Digby, Nova Scotia

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"The first revenue train trips from Halifax-Yarmouth and return took place October 1, 1894. Previous test trains ran over the system until September 29, 1894. On Monday, January 8, 1990, one of the last trains stopped in Digby, en-route to Halifax. The VIA passenger service completes its final trip through southwestern Nova Scotia on January 14, 1990. The freight service will continue until July 13, 1990."

The steam locomotive "Weymouth" #8, shown in picture, was built in 1879. It served until the the Canadian Pacific Railway began modernizing locomotive and steamship services circa 1920.
The Dominion Atlantic Railway Station, ran from 1920 to the 1940's. It was especially busy the first two decades, due to the summer tourists travelling by steam-powered trains. Those trains also carried the mail, as well as freight and express. The last train station was torn down in July of 1994.

In 1890 there was talk of putting a new train station at Green Point, this would have been near the Pines Hotel. The first train station in Digby was built between 1910-11. It was located on 1st Avenue on the opposite side of the tracks of where the new station was later built.

Some information taken from book "Historic Digby" by Mike Parker

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Digby Railway Station
1918
First Avenue, Digby, Nova Scotia

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A second train station was built between 1910-11. It was located on 1st Avenue on the opposite side of the tracks of where the new station was later built.

The 3rd station was built 1919 with the official opening in 1920. The last run for the train in Digby County was January 14, 1990, with freight service running until July 13 of the same year. The tracks were pulled up in 1991.

It was a sad day for Digby on Tuesday, July 12, 1994 when the 3rd train station was torn down.

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Missing Link
1891
Between Digby and Annapolis, Nova Scotia

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In major hurdle in completing the "Missing Link" between Digby and Annapolis were the train trestles required to bridge the Grand Joggin, Bear River and Moose River. In 1891 the Dominion Government intervened and "as a public service" spent $1 million to finish the Digby-Annapolis Royal section. In 1893 the Western Counties Railway was reorganized as the Yarmouth and Annapolis Railway.