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As a proud four-hundred-year-old community, oral history has always been a critical part of the culture of Digby and Digby County. Today, the core of the region’s collective memory is based on written interviews conducted with the community’s elders, whose recollections have been safeguarded for future generations. Although customs and attitudes have changed over the centuries, the community maintains this strong link to the past as a means of honouring its ancestors’ values and ethics.
The interviews describe how families have evolved since the pioneer days; how churches have always played an important part in our social interaction; and how groups such as the Lions Club, Knights of Columbus and Eastern Star are helping meet the needs of our citizens today.
Several interviews touch on the fact recreation and entertainment have always been strong threads woven through the Digby tapestry. Well before the days of film, television, and video games, for example, live music, the interviews remind us, was a vital part of the local culture. Although only a few musical and vocal groups remain now, in the Big-Band era, Digby and the surrounding area boasted some of the finest.
Musical tastes may change, but some pastimes and traditions that pleased our ancestors, such as hooking rugs, carving, and pottery, are still flourishing and take centre stage at a variety of Digby-area annual fairs and celebrations.
