The Nova Scotia-based battalion was the first military unit in Canada to consist primarily of black personnel. The battalion was mainly used in non-combat situations to clear trees, build roads and maintain railway lines. The men were initially deployed in France, building roads and providing water to other enlisted men. (Nova Scotia Archives) Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence, and Frances Allen, Vice Chairman of the Defense Staff, Lieutenant General, and members of the National Apology Advisory Committee will attend the event in Truro, NS The event begins today with a parade at 12:30 p.m. AT and a ceremony to follow at Truro Amateur Athletics Club – the same area where No. 2 Construction Battalion would have trained. “No words can ever make up for these historic mistakes and we are committed to learning from this history to build a more inclusive Canadian armed force and attract talented people to the military who reflect Canada’s diversity,” Anand told his host CBC Information Morning, Portia. Clark on Friday. Morning News – NS8:21 Canada’s Defense Minister to offer national apology to No. 2 Construction Battalion Anita Anand will represent the Trudeau government in Truro at the federal government’s official apology to the descendants and members of No. 2 Construction Battalion. In addition to being the Minister of National Defense, he also grew up in Kentville. Listen to her interview. He said the federal government is implementing diversity and inclusion training in the Canadian Armed Forces, investigations to address harassment and discrimination and created an anti-racism commission that outlined 13 areas to address discrimination. “We need to make sure we’re building a Canadian Armed Forces where everyone in uniform can serve safely, respectfully and protected,” Anand said. “This is a challenge, especially in today’s polarized environment, but it is an issue that we take very seriously to ensure that we have an armed forces where equality and non-discrimination and equal treatment are very much part of the institution.”
Meaningful action
Members of No. 2 Construction Battalion line up in Truro before departing for England and France in the First World War. (Submitted by George Borden) But some anti-racism activists and descendants of members of the order hope the federal government will go beyond a formal apology and take “substantial action” to do more for black communities, improving black health and well-being , education and economic and employment opportunities. The Black Cultural Center of Nova Scotia, with the federal government, developed a database to help locate members of the order and their descendants. People from Canada, the United States, Barbados and the West Indies with ties to the order are expected to travel to Truro. For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians – from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community – check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here. (CBC)
