The Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa is a seasonal coastal resort hotel located at

Digby, Nova Scotia Digby is a Canadian town in southwestern Nova Scotia. It is in the historical Digby County, Nova Scotia, county of Digby and a separate municipality from the Municipality of the District of Digby. The town is situated on the western shore of the ...

, on the shores of the

Annapolis Basin The Annapolis Basin is a sub-basin of the Bay of Fundy, located on the bay's southeastern shores, along the northwestern shore of Nova Scotia and at the western end of the Annapolis Valley. The basin takes its name from the Annapolis River, whic ...

. The Digby Pines was owned by the Province of Nova Scotia until late in 2019, and was one of the province's three "Signature Resorts," along with Liscombe Lodge Resort and Conference Center in Liscombe Mills, and Keltic Lodge Resort and Spa in Ingonish Beach. The Digby Pines first opened in 1905 as a large Second Empire wooden hotel built by Digby businessmen Harry Churchill. It was used in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

as quarters for army officers. After the war, it was purchased by the

Dominion Atlantic Railway The Dominion Atlantic Railway was a historic railway which operated in the western part of Nova Scotia in Canada, primarily through an agricultural district known as the Annapolis Valley. The Dominion Atlantic Railway (DAR) was unusually divers ...

and expanded as a seasonal resort to cater to the DAR's railway and steamer passengers. The film actress

Theda Bara Theda Bara ( ; born Theodosia Burr Goodman; July 29, 1885 – April 7, 1955) was an American silent film and stage actress. Bara was one of the more popular actresses of the silent era and one of cinema's early sex symbols. Her femme fatal ...

spent her honeymoon with husband

Charles Brabin Charles Brabin (April 17, 1882 – November 3, 1957) was a British-American film director. Biography Born in Liverpool, England, he was educated at St. Francis Xavier's College (Liverpool), St. Francis Xavier College. Brabin sailed to New Yor ...

at The Pines in 1921. The DAR's owners, the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway () , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...

, decided to expand The Pines and replaced the original wooden hotel with the present building which opened on June 24, 1929. The hotel was built in the style of a Norman Chateau, similar in style to Canadian Pacific's

Algonquin Hotel The Algonquin Hotel (officially The Algonquin Hotel Times Square, Autograph Collection) is a hotel at 59 West 44th Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States. The 181-room hotel, opened in 1902, was designed by architect Goldwi ...

Saint Andrews, New Brunswick Saint Andrews is a town in Charlotte County, New Brunswick, Canada. The historic town is a national historic site of Canada, bearing many characteristics of a typical 18th century British colonial settlement, including the original grid layo ...

. The hotel includes a Stanley Thompson 18-hole golf course, a large landscaped outdoor heated pool, 30 cottages, and extensive grounds with views of the Annapolis Basin and

Digby Gut The Digby Gut is a narrow channel connecting the Bay of Fundy with the Annapolis Basin. The town of Digby, Nova Scotia is located on the inner portion of the western side of the Gut. The eastern entrance is marked by the Point Prim Lighthouse. St ...

. The golf course attracted visitors such as baseball player

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional Baseball in the United States, baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nickna ...

. A fleet of buses and station wagons connected the hotel to the Digby railway station and the town's steamship wharf. Hotel bell boys once dipped the hotel flag twice a day to the Canadian Pacific steamship as she called on Digby.Donald Scott, "My Interest in the Canadian Pacific", ''CP Tracks'', page 30. Canadian Pacific sold its Dominion Atlantic Railway hotels in 1957. The Pines was purchased by the Province of Nova Scotia to provide a regional tourism destination and is currently marketed as the "Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa". In late 2019, the resort and golf club were sold to Halifax business owners Besim Halef and Glenn Squires and the Bear River First Nation.

References

Marguerite Woodworth, ''History of the Dominion Atlantic Railway'', (Kentville, NS: 1937) pages 143, 145-147.

External links

"Digby County: A Journey Through Time: Hotels" Admiral Digby MuseumDominion Atlantic Railway Digital Preservation Institute: Digby Pines HotelProvince in the red on sale of Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa
{{DEFAULTSORT:Digby Pines Resort Hotels in Nova Scotia Canadian Pacific Railway hotels Tourist attractions in Digby County, Nova Scotia Châteauesque architecture in Canada Hotels established in 1905 Hotel buildings completed in 1929 Buildings and structures in Digby County, Nova Scotia 1905 establishments in Nova Scotia Canadian companies established in 1905