50 YEARS AGO: Weymouth workers offer free labour

Wallis Print published the ‘Second Scrap Book’ by R. Baden-Powell, which was described as 100 pages of reading plus 15 pages of photographs, “accounts of incidents in and around Digby, and a detailed history of well known families.”

A dispute between the Digby Municipal School Board and the Canadian Union of Public Employees was heading to arbitration. At issue were the wages and working hours of school janitors.

Bobby Gaudet and J.P. Vallee each scored a pair for the Digby Mooseheads who defeated Clare Acadiennes 5-4. Digby also got a single from Ricky Cook.

At the Little Cinema was ‘Joe Kidd’, a Western starring Clint Eastwood and John Saxon. 50 years ago Feb. 20, 1958 – An emergency meeting of employees of Weymouth Industries Ltd. resulted in all volunteering two weeks of free labour to help get the boat and furniture-making company on its feet again. The plant had been destroyed the previous week by fire, throwing 100 workers out of their jobs. Lewis Lumber offered all the lumber needed to rebuild with up to five years to pay, and the municipality offered tax breaks as well.

Digby ratepayers voted 40-2 to approve the sale of Digby County Power Board’s generating plant on the Sissiboo River to Nova Scotia Power Commission. The approval was the final step for the municipally owned board; partners in the Municipalities of Digby and Clare, and the village of Weymouth had already okayed the quarter-million dollar deal.

A new Board of Trade committee was looking at problems that still puzzle local business people today. The board’s economic council, headed by H.M. Warne, was set up to bring about improvements to highway entrances to the town, to erect signs to attract visitors, and t develop attractions that would entice visitors to stay longer.

At the Capitol Theatre was ‘The Brass Legend’, starring Hugh O’Brian, who was making a name for himself on television as the star of ‘Wyatt Earp’. 60 years ago Feb. 19, 1948 – Eight people were left homeless after fire in Brighton destroyed the homes of Wilbur Goodwin and Red deAmbrose. Flames were fanned by gale force winds and also engulfed a barn.

The 2,000-ton steamship ‘Springfjord’, which sailed for England after loading pitprops in Digby, arrived after a nightmare voyage that saw its chief officer and a deckhand washed overboard in high seas. It was eight hours before the ship could turn and begin searching for the two. The seas carried away ventilator cowlings and pushed stanchions through the steel deck.

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were starring in ‘Buck Privates Come Home’, playing at the Capitol.