Ontario Construction News staff writer
As Canadians mark Remembrance Day, ceremonies and monuments across the country continue to shed light on the remarkable contributions of the No. 2 Construction Battalion, the Canadian Expeditionary Force’s all-Black military unit formed during the First World War.
The City of Toronto and the Town of Truro, N.S., are among the Canadian communities that have taken steps in recent years to ensure the Battalion’s service and sacrifice are recognized as a central part of Canada’s military and construction heritage.
In Toronto, a Heritage Toronto plaque unveiled in 2024 honours the No. 2 Construction Battalion at the corner of King Street West and University Avenue, near the site of the unit’s original enlistment office at 162 King Street West. The plaque, installed outside St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church at 200 King Street West, was made possible through support from Veterans Affairs Canada.
Meanwhile, in Truro—the community where the Battalion was formed and trained before deployment overseas—a new permanent monument will be unveiled this month. The Town of Truro, through its African Nova Scotia Community Strategy Committee, will host an Official Renaming and Monument Unveiling Ceremony on November 8, 2025, at the newly renamed No. 2 Construction Battalion Athletic Facility at 57 Golf Street. A reception will follow at the Truro Golf Club.
“This site holds profound historical significance as it served as the former parade and drilling grounds for the No. 2 Construction Battalion during their training in Truro before their deployment overseas,” the Town said in a statement. “The permanent monument and facility renaming ensure this vital part of Canadian and African Nova Scotian history will be preserved and recognized for generations to come.”
Funding for the Truro monument and commemorative event has been provided by the Town and through Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program.
Formed on July 5, 1916, No. 2 Construction Battalion—also known as the Black Battalion—was created as a segregated, non-combatant unit. During its early service in Canada, members removed rails from railway sidings in New Brunswick to be shipped to France. Overseas, they served with the Canadian Forestry Corps, cutting timber, building and maintaining roads, and producing lumber used to construct and reinforce trenches on the Western Front.
Among the Battalion’s notable members was Sergeant-Major Ethelbert Lionel Cross, who left his law studies at age 27 to enlist and later became Toronto’s first Black lawyer to open a private practice.
Despite their essential role in the war effort, members of No. 2 Construction Battalion faced systemic racism and exclusion throughout their service. More than a century later, both Toronto’s and Truro’s commemorations reflect a growing national effort to recognize their perseverance and legacy.
The Battalion was officially disbanded on September 15, 1920. In July 2022, the Government of Canada issued an official apology for the racism and discrimination the unit’s members endured while serving their country.
Together, the Toronto plaque and Truro monument stand as enduring tributes—reminders that Canada’s construction and military history are deeply intertwined with stories of courage, resilience, and the ongoing pursuit of equality.