Workers at Weymouth Industries help rebuilt the plant following its loss to fire in 1958. By the water are some of the small cabin cruisers made by the company.
60 years ago: Fire destroys historic Lour Lodge Annex
35 years ago
May 3, 1973 – Ratepayers voted 121 – 21 to approve borrowing up to $850,000 to construct a complete sewage disposal system for the town. With three spoiled ballots, officials noted that only 145 voted from a possible 1,079.
An exchange visit by high school bands from Digby and Meredith, N.H., was called a tremendous success following the visit here by Inter-Lakes School.
Smoke and water damage to Weymouth Consolidated High School was estimated at $5,000. Fire was believed to have started in a girls’ washroom of a janitor’s closet. Students were evacuated in less than a minute, said school officials.
Former music teacher Francis Wallis, 89, of Smith’s Cove, who had been organist for 50 years in the Baptist church in her home community, died. She was the widow of J.J. Wallis, former editor and publisher of the Digby Courier.
Government closure and barricading of the Gilbert Cove wharf roused complains by area lobster fishermen who said they were puzzled by the move.
An advertisement said an operator was needed for a new restaurant at the airport on the Sissiboo Road in Bear River.
‘Dirty Little Billy’, with stars Michael J. Pollard and Lee Purcell, was playing at the Little Cinema.
50 years ago
May 1, 1958 – Three New Brunswick lobster fishermen were rescued Sunday after drifting since Thursday on the Bay of Fundy. Their small craft was tossed for two days by near-gale winds after its propeller shaft broke. Crew from the Bay View Life Saving Station rescued them.
Scallop Queen Diane Scragg was named Digby’s princess for the Apple Blossom Festival.
Digby civil defence staff were preparing for a nation-wide exercise. The RCMP radio was to be used to relay messages from the coordination centre in Halifax and local boy scouts would be used as runners in town.
Since the fishing season opened April 15, Carroll Dukeshire of Clementsvale had caught 176 trout, the longest 11 and a half inches. The previous year, he caught 396 trout in all.
Glenn Ford, Gia Scala and Anne Frances were stars of the comedy ‘Don’t Go Near the Water’, at the Capitol Theatre.
60 years ago
April 29, 1948 – Fire destroyed the Lour Lodge Annex, a three-story building that had been converted to apartments for six families. Fire spread quickly. Fanned by gale force winds, the fire spread quickly and there were concerns it would spread to a nearby lumberyard.
Two firemen, Gregg Gilliatt and Paul Winchester, were injured fighting the blaze, which leveled one of the finest residences in the town’s south end. During the Second World War, the 70-year-old building had been used as a YWCA for Wrens at Cornwallis, and it was afterwards converted to apartments by Lour Lodge owner Duff Darres, who took a top floor apartment for himself. All of his possessions were lost in he fire, as well as the hotel silverware that he had taken home to clean.
Digby Recreation Commission decided to look at installing an artificial ice plant at the town’s new rink.
The Deep Brook Players were presenting ‘Aunt Tillie Goes to Town’ in Digby Community Hall. For those looking for celluloid entertainment, the Capitol was showing ‘Lost Moment’, with Robert Montgomery and Susan Hayworth.
