Amherst unveils new monument honouring historic Black battalion that served in WW I

A new monument unveiled on Saturday in Amherst, N.S., honours the men who formed Canada's only all-Black battalion in the First World War. 

More than 20 men from the Amherst and Cumberland County area were among the hundreds of Black Canadians who enlisted in the No. 2 Construction Battalion in 1916.

They overcame systematic barriers and rampant racism and discrimination to do so.

"We have descendants of those soldiers living here and working here and so we felt it was a very important thing to take the lead on,"  Amherst Mayor David Kogon said during a ceremony on Saturday that was also part of the town's Emancipation Day celebrations.

In 2022, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologized on behalf of the federal government for the anti-Black racism the men experienced in the military.

"We cannot ever let what happened to No. 2 Construction Battalion happen again," he said at the time. "And we cannot let the service of any member of our forces ever be overlooked and forgotten."

The effort to create the new monument was spearheaded by Amherst town councillor Hal Davidson. His great-uncle, the Rev. Wilford Jones Davidson, served in the battalion.

He fought back tears as the monument was unveiled Saturday.

"I really don't know if I can find the appropriate adjectives to describe the emotions today," Davidson said. 

"Our family is so proud to be a descendant of someone who was so brave and so loyal to his country." 

The monument is the latest that honours the battalion in the province, joining one unveiled in Yarmouth in 2023.

In 2023, the federal government announced $2.25 million in funding to honour the battalion's legacy.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.