HALIFAX — December 1, 2021 — A nationwide virtual consultation on December 9, 7:30PM (AT) is being held to hear from descendants and relatives of Black servicemen who were met with systemic race-based discrimination from Canadian officials during the First World War.
The consultation is a lead-up to the Government of Canada’s apology in July 2022 for historic racism towards the Black members of No. 2 Construction Battalion. No. 2 Construction Battalion, was a segregated, all-Black unit of the Canadian Expeditionary Force.
The consultation, sponsored by a national citizen advisory committee led by Canada’s Department of National Defence and the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia (BCCNS), aims to hear from both descendants of Blacks who served for Canada and parties interested in the redress process.
A toll-free number, 1-833-407-7214, website www.no2-cef.ca and email address contact@bccns.com exist to register them for the consultation and related activities. To see if a relative’s name is listed, peruse the names of Black Battalion members online at: https://www.no2-cef.ca/men-of-the-no-2
Descendant, relative, friend, regardless, it is important to our committee that participants register to take part and have a say in this historic process, said Russell Grosse, Executive Director of the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia.
“Feedback from consultation sessions will inform the government as to how best make the apology meaningful to the families, the community and our nation,” he said.
The government’s formal apology is slated to take place in Halifax on July 9, 2022 with symbolic events set to occur throughout the week in various Canadian centres. Register Now: Link: https://register.no2-cef.ca