Long history of black Canadians serving in the military

For hundreds of years, as conflicts were waged across North America and overseas, the tradition of black soldiers on Canadian territory has endured.

It’s a legacy that has continued uninterrupted to the present day. Patrick Philippeaux, 41, has spent 20 years in the army, currently holding the rank of master corporal. He has served in Afghanistan and Haiti as a mobile support equipment operator. He said the armed forces have given him a purpose and sense of belonging.

“It was either that or a lifetime at Burger King,” he said. “The military has this kind of brotherhood, right? We look out for one another, we care for one another, we help out one another.”

Lynsaskia Clement, 21, has been in the military for 22 months. She is planning on making the army her career and is on her way to completing a nursing degree.

“I have a voice,” she said. “I’m respected. I have people that see you as an equal.”

Blacks fought for both the French and British in conflicts dating back to the 18^th century.

“It goes back at least to 1745 and the first siege of Louisbourg,” said military historian and major in the Canadian armed forces Mathias Joost.

In both World Wars, black Canadians encountered few obstacles in volunteering for service.

“Nobody cared about the colour of the skin,” said Joost. “It was the question: can you do the job? If we’re in combat, are you going to be able to protect my back just I’m going to protect yours?”