New flag unveiled, raised in honour of Canada's No. 2 Construction Battalion

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.

“They were recruited across Canada,” Junor states. “So it’s time for the rest of the country to realize that they have a piece in this cake.”

That sentiment is echoed by Jennifer Dow, who is a descendant from an original battalion. She also lives on the Gagetown grounds with her husband who serves in the military, making the ceremony extra special.

“I drive by multiple times a week,” says Dow. “My husband works near here, so to see that flag being raised and to be here and see the memory of those soldiers being preserved is incredible.”

“All that see the flag here at this base will ask the question, ‘what does that represent?’” Says Nova Scotia Black Cultural Centre executive director Russell Grosse. “They will be told of the brave men in the No. 2 Construction Battalion.”

Grosse has also long pushed for more recognition for the battalion.

As the prime minister apologized last year in Nova Scotia, Canadians flew in around the country to witness the moment, and share their stories of the battalion.

“People are coming forward with new stories,” Grosse says. “They are coming up with the fact they had members in their families that served and they weren’t aware. So it’s great that the legacy is continuing on, and is going on beyond the humble shores of Nova Scotia where the battalion had its birth.”

The 30th annual No. 2 Construction Battalion remembrance ceremony and honour parade will be held along the town’s waterfront on Saturday in Pictou, N.S.