The Honourable Minister of National Defence, Anita Anand, issued the following statement today on the anniversary of the apology to descendants of No. 2 Construction Battalion members:
"One year ago, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and I delivered an apology on behalf of the Government of Canada for the systemic anti-Black racism that members of No. 2 Construction Battalion endured before, during, and long after the First World War. This apology was necessary in acknowledging the hurt that has been caused and in beginning to rectify its negative impacts.
"In preparation for this apology, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) worked with a community-led National Apology Advisory Committee (NAAC), made up of volunteering community leaders, historians, and No. 2 Construction Battalion descendants.
"The NAAC conducted six cross-Canada community consultations in which 690 descendants of former members of No. 2 Construction Battalion participated. Using the information gathered, the NAAC Report proposed eight recommendations to the Government of Canada.
"Since then, the Department of National Defence (DND) and CAF has been working unceasingly on implementing these recommendations. This work is key to building a more inclusive culture free of racism, discrimination and biases.
"As of now, only three recommendations remain to be fully addressed, specifically 5, 6, and 8-all of which are currently in progress. Some elements of recommendations 2, 4 and 7 require sustained and everlasting efforts. We are making headway and we will not stop until we become an organization where everyone can have a sense of belonging and know that their contribution to Canada's defence goals will be recognized and valued.
"In line with Recommendation 5, progress is being made in establishing a long-term legacy fund that creates ongoing opportunities for education about, remembrance, and honouring of No. 2 Construction Battalion.
"To fulfill Recommendation 6, which asked that descendants and families of No. 2 Construction Battalion be given a memento, the NAAC and the Organization Committee for the No. 2 Construction Battalion Apology Event proposed commissioning a Commemorative Quilt. The quilt is being made by members of the Black Artists Network of Nova Scotia (BANNS) who were asked to incorporate the necessary artistic and historic perspectives of the No. 2 Construction Battalion. The presentation of the commemorative quilt is planned as part of the July 2024 Perpetuation Ceremony in Pictou, Nova Scotia.
"Regarding Recommendation 8, work is underway on establishing options to form an advisory body on Anti-Black Racism to provide advice on a concise path forward to continue eliminating racism and discrimination, and embracing culture change.
"At the same time, we are taking steps to implement the recommendations from the Minister of National Defence Advisory Panel on Systemic Racism and Discrimination. The Advisory Panel report guides our current and future work to eliminate racism and discrimination in all forms, and there are many intersections between it and the National Apology Advisory Committee's No. 2 Construction Battalion recommendations. As part of this work, we have established a Directorate of Anti-Racism Implementation as a permanent organization within the Chief Professional Conduct and Culture (CPCC) organization. We have also established a secretariat to support our Defence Advisory Groups and the important work that they do, elevating observations or concerns of their communities for senior leadership to consider and act upon.
"This deliberate and targeted work, combined with complementary efforts to improve training and education, leadership competencies, and recruitment screening procedures, mean that change for the better is inevitable and achievable.
"When I meet with Defence Team members across Canada and on operations all over the world, I see their clear desire to support and advance culture change. Together, we will continue to make meaningful progress and real change to usher in a new era of inclusion in the DND/CAF, where everyone is treated with dignity and respect."
