Throughout the year we will feature "Did you know" facts and information on upcoming events to learn more about Black excellence, celebration, and history.
In August 1914, men across Canada rushed to their local recruiting centre to enlist for service in the First World War. Black men attempted to enlist, but their requests were denied due to systemic racism. Black communities wrote to request that Black Canadians be allowed to enlist.
An all-Black battalion was not possible as there were not enough Black men in Canada to man such a battalion and provide reinforcements in the face of heavy casualty rates at the front. In 1916, the chief of the general staff at Militia Headquarters proposed that a Black labour battalion be formed, and this proposal was approved by the British the next month.
Recruitment started across Canada, and by the end of 1916, 575 Black soldiers has enlisted. Unfortunately, this was not enough soldiers to form a battalion. The solution was to reform the battalion as a labour company of 500 officers and men, renamed No. 2 Canadian Construction Company. The rest of the battalion remained in England to serve as reinforcements. No. 2 Canadian Construction Company went to assist the Canadian Forestry Corps with forestry operations.
With the Armistice on November 11, 1918, the Forestry Corps was no longer required. The first men from the No. 2 Construction Company began their return to Canada in December 1918.
While waiting for transport to Canada, a large group of soldiers from No. 2 Construction Battalion were attacked by white soldiers after the battalion’s sergeant tried to arrest a white soldier for insolence. The white soldiers refused to accept the rank and authority of the Black sergeant.
No. 2 Construction Battalion was the largest Black unit in the history of Canada and played an essential role in the lumber operations of the Canadian Forestry Corps. The battalion faced racism and rejection, and as it was not a combat unit, the battalion was soon forgotten.
In 2022, Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister, apologized to the descendants of No. 2 Construction Battalion for the systemic racism experienced by members of the battalion. A commemorative coin for Black History Month to honour the battalion was released in February 2023.
You can learn more through the following resources: