When the First World War began in 1914, black Canadian men responded to the call to arms. Like other loyal citizens who flocked to recruiting centers, they wanted to do their part for king and country. Despite being ready and willing to serve overseas, and contrary to official government policy, many potential recruits learned from most unit commanding officers that “this is a white man’s war” and black men were not wanted by the Canadian Military. As a result, the vast majority of black men were turned away, ostensibly to avoid a “checkerboard army.” Despite this rejection, about one thousand five hundred black men did manage to enroll in the CEF across the country.
But black Canadians were determined to serve in greater numbers. Community leaders wrote letters of protest and approached local and federal politicians to make their voices heard. Finally, with the help of supportive white Canadians, in 1916, the Canadian Military responded by establishing a segregated construction battalion.
The black population of Canada at the time was about twenty thousand, with the majority (seven thousand) in Nova Scotia. On July 5, 1916, over six hundred black men came together at Pictou, Nova Scotia. Because of its large black population, Nova Scotia became the base of the unit. Pictou was also the closest town to the residence of Lieutenant Colonel Donald Sutherland, a prominent railroad contractor, who had volunteered to form the battalion, provided he could do so close to home.
Comprised of about 300 men from Nova Scotia and another 125 from New Brunswick, Ontario, and the Canadian Prairies, 163 from the United States, and approximately 30 from the British West Indies, No. 2 Construction Battalion, CEF, was established. The men who comprised about 7 percent of the total black population of Canada became the first and only black unit created in Canada after Confederation in 1867. The battalion’s mission was to support combat troops on the Western Front in Europe and was one of three construction battalions that
Vita vya Kwanza vya Ulimwengu vilipoanza mwaka 1914, wanaume weusi wa Kanada waliitikia wito wa kupigana. Kama raia wengine waaminifu waliokusanyika kwenye vituo vya kuandikisha watu, walitaka kufanya sehemu yao kwa ajili ya mfalme na nchi. Licha ya kuwa tayari na tayari kutumikia nje ya nchi, na kinyume na sera rasmi ya serikali, wengi wa wajumbe wa uwezekano walijifunza kutoka kwa maafisa wengi wa kikosi cha kuamuru kwamba "hiyo ni vita ya mtu mweupe" na watu weusi hawakutakiwa na Jeshi la Canada. "Kwa sababu hiyo, idadi kubwa ya watu weusi walikataliwa, kwa kuonekana ili kuepuka ""jeshi la checkerboard.""Licha ya kukataliwa, karibu watu weusi elfu moja na mia tano walifanikiwa kujiandikisha katika CEF kote nchini." Lakini Wakanada weusi walikuwa wameazimia kutumikia kwa idadi kubwa zaidi. Viongozi wa jumuiya waliandika barua za maandamano na kuwafikia wanasiasa wa mitaa na wa shirikisho ili sauti zao zisikike. Hatimaye, kwa msaada wa Wakanada weupe wenye kuunga mkono, katika 1916, Jeshi la Canada lilijibu kwa kuanzisha kikosi cha ujenzi kilichotenganishwa. Wakati huo, watu weusi nchini Kanada walikuwa karibu elfu ishirini, na wengi wao (elfu saba) walikuwa huko Nova Scotia. Mnamo Julai 5, 1916, watu zaidi ya mia sita wa rangi nyeusi walikusanyika huko Pictou, Nova Scotia. Kwa sababu ya idadi kubwa ya watu weusi, Nova Scotia ikawa msingi wa kikosi hicho. Pictou pia ilikuwa mji ulio karibu zaidi na makazi ya Luteni Kanali Donald Sutherland, mkandarasi mashuhuri wa reli, ambaye alikuwa amejitolea kuunda kikosi hicho, ikiwa angeweza kufanya hivyo karibu na nyumbani. Kikosi hicho kilikuwa na watu 300 kutoka Nova Scotia, 125 kutoka New Brunswick, Ontario, na maeneo ya Kanada, 163 kutoka Marekani, na 30 kutoka British West Indies. Kikosi cha Ujenzi cha CEF Wanaume hao waliofanyiza asilimia saba ya jumla ya idadi ya watu weusi nchini Kanada, na wakawa kikundi cha kwanza na pekee cha watu weusi kilichoanzishwa nchini Kanada baada ya kuunganishwa kwa nchi hiyo mwaka 1867. Kikosi hicho kilikuwa na jukumu la kuunga mkono vikosi vya vita katika eneo la Ulaya na kilikuwa moja ya vikosi vitatu vya ujenzi vilivyohitajika.