Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologized on behalf of the federal government to descendants and relatives of the men of the No. 2 Construction Battalion, 106 years after the first all-Black military unit was born in Nova Scotia during the first world war.
The battalion, based in Nova Scotia, drew Black Canadians from all over the country looking to join the war effort.
The battalion was created in response to petitions from Black leaders across Canada, who wanted Black Canadians to be allowed to enlist.
Trudeau said the members of No. 2 Battalion were invaluable during the war. The men weren’t allowed to carry rifles, instead they did back-breaking labour to support military campaigns: clear trees, build roads, and maintain railway tracks.
Despite this work, the members of the battalion had to live in segregated camps and often received poor medical care, rations and equipment.
“We cannot ever let what happened to No. 2 Construction Battalion happen again,” Trudeau said. “And we cannot let the service of any member of our forces ever be overlooked and forgotten.”
The Prime Minister apologized, not only for the overt racism the men experienced, but also for the systemic racism and lack of recognition for their contributions after the war.
“As a country we failed to recognize their contributions for what they were.”
“We are committed to meaningful change, where the dignity of all service members in the Canadian Armed Forces is upheld,” Trudeau said. “Where everyone is welcome, where everyone can rise through the ranks, where everyone has opportunities to distinguish themselves.”
Trudeau was joined at the apology by Anita Anand, the minister of national defence, Lt.-Gen. Frances Allen, vice-chief of the defence staff, and members of the national apology advisory committee.
After the Prime Minister’s apology, Anand spoke, saying she is committed to taking concrete action to make the Canadian Armed Forces more inclusive and reflective of the country it serves.
“I am committed to eliminating systemic racism so that the discrimination faced by the No. 2 Construction Battalion and those who followed never happens again,” she said.
