Digby County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia .
22-593: It was named after the Township of Digby; this was named in honour of Rear Admiral Robert Digby , who dispatched HMS Atalanta to convey Loyalists from New York City in the spring of 1783 to Conway, which became known as Digby, as part of their evacuation and resettlement following the American Revolutionary War. The Crown resettled thousands of Loyalists in Nova Scotia and other areas of Canada. Digby County
44-399: A land area of 2,512.28 km (970.00 sq mi), it had a population density of 6.8/km (17.6/sq mi) in 2021. Population trend Mother tongue language (2011) Ethnic groups (2006) Highways and numbered routes that run through the county, including external routes that start or finish at the county boundary: The county's history is preserved at
66-460: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a Member of the Parliament of Great Britain (1707–1800) representing an English constituency is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Digby, Nova Scotia Digby is an incorporated town in southwestern Nova Scotia , Canada. It is in the historical county of Digby and a separate municipality from
88-413: Is located approximately 105 km (65 mi) from Yarmouth , and about 230 km (140 mi) from Downtown Halifax . In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada , Digby had a population of 2,001 living in 1,030 of its 1,133 total private dwellings, a change of -2.9% from its 2016 population of 2,060 . With a land area of 3.16 km (1.22 sq mi), it had
110-543: The Admiral Digby Museum as well as several community museums. Robert Digby (admiral) Admiral Robert Digby (20 December 1732 – 25 February 1815) was a Royal Navy officer who also served briefly as a Member of Parliament (MP). He is the namesake of Digby, Nova Scotia . Digby was the third son of Charlotte Fox and the Hon. Edward Digby , eldest son of William Digby, 5th Baron Digby . He entered
132-774: The Battle of Ushant . Rising to Second-in-Command of the Channel Fleet in 1779, he was made Rear-Admiral of the Blue , and transferred to HMS Prince George , in which he was present at the attack on the Caracas Convoy and the Battle of Cape St. Vincent in January 1780. Digby was appointed in 1781 as Rear-Admiral of the Red and given the command of the North American Station . After
154-505: The Bear River Indian (First Nations) reserve. Also, there is Digby Neck leading into the Bay of Fundy to Long Island and Brier Island . As a census division in the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada , Digby County had a population of 17,062 living in 8,117 of its 9,681 total private dwellings, a change of -1.5% from its 2016 population of 17,323 . With
176-565: The Mi'kmaq . A small group of New England Planters settled in the area of the town in the 1760s naming it Conway. However Digby was formally 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. One famous Digby vessel was the brigantine Dei Gratia , which discovered
198-628: The Municipality of the District of Digby . The town is situated on the western shore of the Annapolis Basin near the entrance to the Digby Gut , which connects the basin to the Bay of Fundy . Named after Admiral Robert Digby , the town has a scallop fishing fleet. The MV Fundy Rose ferry service connects the town to Saint John, New Brunswick . Digby is called Oositookun, meaning ear of land, by
220-459: The Blue , and retired from the navy in 1794. His father died before inheriting the family's title, Baron Digby (in the peerage of Ireland ), and on the death in 1752 of the 5th Baron , the title passed to the admiral's oldest brother Edward . When Edward died in 1757, the title was inherited by their brother Henry , and Robert was elected to succeed Edward as MP for Wells in Somerset , holding
242-491: The Emergency Room does close occasionally due to a lack of physician or nursing coverage. During closures, patients are advised to go to the nearest hospital (Yarmouth or Kentville). As of March 2024, the base cost for a visit to the Emergency Room at the hospital for a non-Canadian visitor is $ 897.50 Canadian; that fee excludes any doctor's fees, tests, or medicines. Similar charges apply in other hospitals and clinics. Digby
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#1732852440491264-593: The county and western Nova Scotia such Access Nova Scotia and the Department of Community and Social Services are located in Digby. There is a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) station located on Victoria Street. The Digby General Hospital, located on Warwick Street, provides medical care to the residents of Digby. This includes Emergency Care, Primary Care, Inpatient Care, Restorative Care, Ambulatory Care, Day Surgery, Renal Dialysis. Although they provide emergency care,
286-431: The early 1900s, documented by Frederick William Wallace . Later, trawlers, especially those harvesting scallops became the mainstay. The town council consists of a mayor and four councillors. The offices of Digby County are located immediately adjacent to the town. Digby is represented provincially by the riding of Digby-Annapolis and federally by the riding of West Nova . Numerous provincial and federal services for
308-572: The famous mystery ship Mary Celeste in 1872. 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 . Digby's history is preserved and interpreted by the Admiral Digby Museum , located facing the harbour in
330-497: The first week of August, brings the fishing and tourism industries together to showcase the town's history and heritage to the tourists. The festival offers a variety of themed activities for all ages, including scallop shucking contests, a parade, and an exhibition of local artists. Since 2004, Digby has become the destination of the largest motorcycle rally in Atlantic Canada, the annual Wharf Rat Rally . It attracts many times
352-474: The historic Woodrow/Dakin home, one of oldest houses in the town. Tourism has played an important role in Digby during the 20th century beginning with the establishment of railway and steamship links that opened the town and surrounding communities as an-easy-to-reach destination for larger urban centres in eastern North America. A landmark in this industry was the construction of the Digby Pines Resort on
374-456: The navy aged twelve or thirteen, and became Captain of HMS Solebay (1742) at the age of 23 in 1755, and was present at the 1757 Raid on Rochefort the 1758 Raid on St Malo , and Capture of Gorée , and at the Battle of Quiberon Bay 1759 November 20 as Captain of HMS Dunkirk (1754) . He transferred to HMS Trident in March 1777, and the following month to HMS Ramillies , in which he was present at
396-565: The seat from 1757 to 1761. (Because the family's title was in the peerage of Ireland, it did not confer a seat in the House of Lords , and did not disqualify the holder from election to the British House of Commons ). He married Eleanor Jauncey (née Elliot), daughter of Andrew Elliot , Lieutenant-Governor of New York . They had no children. This biographical article related to the Royal Navy
418-469: The surrender of New York City in 1783, Digby helped to organise the evacuation of some 1,500 United Empire Loyalists to the small port of Conway in Nova Scotia . The settlement he led transformed the tiny village into a town, which in 1787 was renamed Digby . The town's museum was also named the Admiral Digby Museum in his honor. He was recalled to home waters in 1787, was promoted to Admiral of
440-713: The town's outskirts. Built in 1905 and then purchased in 1917 by the Dominion Atlantic Railway , the resort provided a focal point to the local tourism industry with a large expansion in 1927. The Pines attracted notable visitors including early film star Theda Bara who spent her honeymoon there in 1921. Expanded several times since, it was bought by the Government of Nova Scotia after the Dominion Atlantic sold its hotels. About 20 additional motels, inns and bed and breakfast operations are based in Digby making tourism an important employer. The annual Scallop Days Festival, held
462-482: The town's population; the town of 2,000 residents grows to 50,000 people, including 25,000 motorcycles. So many that schools and some roads have to close for the day due to crowds and motorcycle traffic. The Wharf Rat Rally event is held the weekend of Labour Day in August/September each year. Fishing has been an essential economic activity since the town's settlement. Digby's schooner fishery reached its peak in
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#1732852440491484-465: Was established in 1837. Previously, from August 17, 1759, when Nova Scotia was first divided into counties, this area had been part of Annapolis County . In 1861, Digby County was divided into two sessional districts: Digby and Clare . These were eventually incorporated as district municipalities in 1879. In addition to these two district municipalities, the county contains the Town of Digby and part of
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