James Calbert Best
Encyclopedia
James Calbert Best was a former Canadian diplomat
. He was High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago
. He was Canada’s first Black
assistant deputy minister and first Black high commissioner
.
A native of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
, Best earned a bachelor's degree
in political science
and a diploma
in journalism
from the University of King's College
in Halifax. He was co-founder of the Civil Service Association of Canada, which evolved into the Public Service Alliance of Canada
, and served as CSAC's first president, from 1957 to 1966. After the Ben Johnson steroid scandal, Best was appointed to a three member panel to examine the future of sport in Canada
. Their final report was entitled Sport - the Way Ahead.
Best retired in 1990 after his term as High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago
. He died in Ottawa
at the age of 81.
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
. He was High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
. He was Canada’s first Black
Black Canadian
'Black Canadians is a designation used for people of Black African descent, who are citizens or permanent residents of Canada. The term specifically refers to Canadians with Sub-Saharan African ancestry. The majority of Black Canadians are of Caribbean origin...
assistant deputy minister and first Black high commissioner
High Commissioner
High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
.
A native of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
New Glasgow is a town in Pictou County, in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It is situated on the banks of the East River of Pictou, which flows into Pictou Harbour, a sub-basin of the Northumberland Strait....
, Best earned a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and a diploma
Diploma
A diploma is a certificate or deed issued by an educational institution, such as a university, that testifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study or confers an academic degree. In countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, the word diploma refers to...
in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
from the University of King's College
University of King's College
The University of King's College is a post-secondary institution in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. King's is a small liberal arts university offering mainly undergraduate programs....
in Halifax. He was co-founder of the Civil Service Association of Canada, which evolved into the Public Service Alliance of Canada
Public Service Alliance of Canada
The Public Service Alliance of Canada is one of Canada’s largest national labour unions, with members in every province and territory. In fact, it is the biggest union in the Canadian Federal Public Sector...
, and served as CSAC's first president, from 1957 to 1966. After the Ben Johnson steroid scandal, Best was appointed to a three member panel to examine the future of sport in Canada
Sport in Canada
Sports in Canada consists of a variety of games. Although there are many contests that Canada value, the most common are Ice hockey, Lacrosse, Canadian football, basketball, soccer, curling and baseball...
. Their final report was entitled Sport - the Way Ahead.
Best retired in 1990 after his term as High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
. He died in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
at the age of 81.