We are honoured to present the twelve brave Black men from British Columbia, who enlisted in No. 2 Construction Battalion, CEF.
In the fall of 2024 we announced another signature project for the Society – “No. 2 Construction Battalion Legacy in BC and Beyond”. The research found 12 soldiers who enlisted in BC. Ten served with the Battalion overseas – four were born in BC; the others had moved here before the war from other parts of Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, and Europe.
July 26, 2025 at 11:00 am at the LGen. E.C. Ashton Armoury Museum, Victoria BC was the unveiling ceremony of a commemorative plaque.
The plaque, “TRIBUTE To the Proud, Heroic, Resilient, and Brave Black Soldiers Who Enlisted in British Columbia”, was presented to the LGen E.C. Ashton Armoury Museum by Captain (Ret’d) D.L. (Door) Gibson, MMM, CD, Project Manager and BCBHAS Board Member. Accepting the plaque on behalf of the Museum was LCol (Ret’d) W.E. (Wayne) Dauphinee, CD, Assistant Director of the Museum, and Lt (Ret’d) N.J. (Nancy) Dauphinee, Museum Co-Curator.
Highlighting the contribution and dedication of these Black men, we seek to deepen awareness and appreciation of the legacy of Black People in British Columbia and throughout Canada. We are forever grateful to them and their families for their sacrifices.
AND, we’ve created a special website about this legacy.
The website includes the life stories for each BC soldier, details on their individual war service, and the Battalion’s operations in Canada, England and France and their homecoming. These men were part of the 595 men and 20 officers who sailed to England on March 28, 1917 and sailed back to Halifax in January 1919. The website also has resources including a Timeline, Glossary, and Interactive Map.
Visit the website https://blackbattalionbc.ca/
