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Although the H&D league was a shadow of its former self at the time of its demise, it is nonetheless true that it had been one of the fastest summer circuits outside of organized baseball during its fifteen years of existence. In that sense it stands alongside the Quebec Provincial League, the Ontario Intercounty League, the Man-Dak and Western Canada baseball leagues as among the most competitive baseball leagues in Canada in the postwar years. While other leagues of similar character were collapsing throughout the fifties, the H&D League endured. However, as fan supported eroded and the league relied increasingly upon college prospects, turning its back on both the seasoned veterans of professional ball in the United States and local players who helped maintain fan loyalty in the process, Nova Scotian baseball fell on increasingly hard times. The situation was made worse by the economic problems confronting small towns in the region during the fifties, and by the limited fan base they could draw upon. Most community clubs at the time operated near or at the break-even point and relied upon the community's ability to raise funds through 50-50 draws, lotteries, bingos, and pools in order to cover accumulated deficits. Even in the days when baseball crowds averaged close to 1500 per game, local owners rarely made a profit, and they were always sensitive to attendance declines. As the 1950s wore on, moreover, the failing prospects of coal towns such as Springhill, Stellarton, and Westville, as well as the difficulties faced by distribution centers such as Truro, Liverpool and Kentville whose economic fortunes were tied to primary sector industries, made it difficult for baseball clubs to continue to operate. In addition, new forms of entertainment including television, and the mobility provided by increased automobile ownership, drew fans away from their closely knit-communities and to other summertime pursuits.
But the extent to which the league has lived on in the memories and sporting folklore of Nova Scotians over the years is a continuing indication of what it meant to the towns that were part of it. For a brief time baseball was the king of summer amusements in mainland Nova Scotia. Indeed, this brief history and larger exhibit that it is part of is a testimony to its continuing resonance among those old enough to remember it.