Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivers National Apology to the descendants of the No. 2 Construction Battalion, CEF

On July 9, 2022, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered a National Apology to the No. 2 Construction Battalion and their Descendants, acknowledging the overt racism they had endured.

Some excerpts from the Apology –

Hundreds of young Black men wanted to serve their country and protect the freedom we hold dear. They wanted to fight with honour against tyranny and oppression, but almost every single Black volunteer was denied the honour of serving their country”;

This is what systemic racism and anti-Black hate does: it suppresses the truth; it tries to rewrite history under false narratives;

For the overt racism of turning Black volunteers away when they offered to sacrifice their lives for all, we are sorry;

For failing to honour and commemorate the contributions of the members of No. 2 Construction Battalion and their descendants, for the blatant anti-Black hate and systemic racism that denied these men dignity in life and in death, we are sorry;

And to their descendants, we hope you see yourselves as you are: heirs to the memory of true Canadian heroes.”

Read/watch the full apology