Introduction

Blacks have participated in various roles in every military undertaking in which Canadians have engaged. They served during the 1837 Rebellions, the Crimean War (1853-1856), the American Civil War (1861-1865), the Fenian Raids (1865-1866), the Boer War (1899-1902), World War I (1914-1918) and World War II (1939-1945). Items in this unit focus upon contributions of Blacks in World War I.

According to the Canadian census of 1911 the number of Blacks in Canada was 16 877 or 0.23% of Canada's total population. Evidence reveals that there was resistance and reluctance on the part of the Canadian government to accept Blacks into the forces. However, in spite of these obstacles, Blacks volunteered and urged others to volunteer. In Nova Scotia, the Number 2 Construction Battalion, a segregated Black unit, was formed. Many noteworthy efforts and achievements were made by Black Canadians during World War I.

Members of the Battalion received expressions of gratitude from the civic authorities of Montréal in the form of testimonial statements issued in 1919 and which concluded with the words, "...you have written a glorious page in the history of the world, which will be an inspiration for future generations." In the 1970s and 1980s surviving veterans of World War I, including those from the Number 2 Construction Battalion, attended reunions and were honored in various ways. Black Canadians, both men and women, served their country courageously.