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 →

Eternal Life: Preserving the Memory of Beechville is a reflective look at how one African Nova-Scotian community is coping with urban sprawl encroaching on its borders. Following the war of 1812, a group of freed slaves settled in Beechville, Nova Scotia as refugees escaping the United States. Almost two centuries later, as urbanization threatens many of Canada’s rural communities, Beechville itself is being swallowed up.