There was a 20-year gap between Best's first plunge into journalism as the publisher or her own newspaper, The Clarion, and her next foray into the profession. If Best were alive today, she would admit she was angry the day she went to the office of then-editor of The Pictou Advocate, George Cadogan, to complain about the comments of a local high school principal who rejected a gift offered students of the Pictou Landing Reserve by saying, " I know of not one of them who deserves it." To her surprise Cadogan asked her to write a column for the paper. The column, which was printed under heading Human Rights, ran from 1968 to 1975.Best's biggest interest by far as a columnist was what she called the Saga of the Vale Road. Her involvement in the Saga of the Vale Road began one evening in 1968 while she was reading a list of properties advertised for non-payment of taxes by the Town of New Glasgow. There were 16 in all, and with the exception of six, all were assessed to Black property holders in the Granville St./Vale Road area.
Believing that the rumors of industrial growth in town's south end and the sale of properties were in some way related, Best began intensive research into property rights of the residents.
She published her findings and predictions in her weekly column, and later brought her concerns to the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission. Advocate columns: |