In memory of Robert Devet (d. September 27, 2021), founder, publisher and editor of the Nova Scotia Advocate. This site is preserved as an archive of the Advocate’s journalism from 2016 to 2021, and as a tribute to Robert’s work. No new articles are published, and comments, forms and search are closed. Read the tribute →

Matthew arrived at Emerald Hall, a locked unit at the Nova Scotia Hospital, when he was 19 years old. Now he is 31, still there, too heavily medicated, and his mother wants him out of there. Now Matthew is hinting that he is being mistreated.

Outright government-sanctioned racism is very much part of Black Canadian history. A recently published book talks about this godawful legacy. The Nova Scotia chapters make for a grim read.