New flag unveiled, raised in honour of Canada’s No. 2 Construction Battalion
CTV
The No. 2 Construction Battalion, Canada’s first all-Black regiment, didn’t have a flag to call their own -- until Wednesday.
The No. 2 Construction Battalion, Canada’s first all-Black regiment, didn’t have a flag to call their own -- until Wednesday.
The group was first created on July 5, 1916, during the First World War. The regiment boasted the largest Black unit in Canadian history, and while many never went into battle on the front lines, the No. 2 Construction Battalion performed a large number of support tasks.
Now, on the 107th anniversary of the battalions creation, a flag has been unveiled and proudly raised during a ceremony at the Gagetown 5th Canadian Division Support Base just outside of Oromocto, N.B.
“This was a journey I never thought was possible,” says Captain Kevin Junor, who has long championed for more recognition for the No. 2 Construction Battalion. “There aren’t too many occasions where you get to see a flag raised for the first time.”
The legacy of the group is well known in Nova Scotia, but the battalion has gained more national attention in recent years. In 2022, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a formal apology for the racism the men endured during the Great War.
The regiment has also been issued a stamp of their own, and this past February, as part of Black History Month, a pure silver coin was unveiled commemorating their achievements.
Junor says he is pleased to see the rest of the nation learn about an important part of Canada’s history.
