What are 3 different things the No.2 Construction battalion did in Canadas war efforts?
It was the first use of blacks in the Canadian military because before this many felt blacks were inferior. “It was employed primarily in the production of timber for use by the allied armies and repairing roads. Members of the unit hoped to be able to take part in the action of the trenches but only a few eventually did. Even so, some were injured, and some lost their lives to artillery fire, poison gas, and construction accidents.” “They also desired a piece of the action. In the words of Sydney M. Jones, a surviving black World War I veteran, “It was the thing to do”. (3) However, Black Canadians received a devastating signal that they were considered third class citizens. The fact that they generally were not included in the patriotic and military institutions of Canada was made painfully evident.
