Although it is possible to drive from St. John, New Brunswick to Digby, Nova Scotia, thanks to the Bay of Fundy which separates them, the trip is nearly 400 miles and takes nearly 6 hours. The same trip is only 50 miles across the Bay of Fundy and takes around 2-1/2 hours by ferry.

Click image to download an 850-KB PDF of this menu.

In 1930, the SS Princess Helene was built in Scotland for Canadian Pacific ferry service on this route. Despite the shortness of the journey, CP ordered the ferry to be outfitted as well as one of its Duchess ocean liners, complete with 43 state rooms. When the ship passed Canadian Pacific’s Digby Pines Hotel, bell boys would dip the hotel flag and salute.

The Princess Helene continued on this route until 1963, when it was replaced by a larger but less luxurious ship named Princess of Acadia. Sometime before then, probably in the 1950s, someone ate from this breakfast menu on board the Helene.

The menu offered full breakfasts for $1.25 or $1.50, the main difference being that the $1.25 meal came with either juice or cereal while the $1.50 meal came with both, plus the $1.50 meal had six entrées vs. just three for the $1.25 meal. The menu also listed a variety of a la carte items including entrées that were also on the full meals that cost as much as 95¢ by themselves.