Saturday 8 November 2025
Black Veterans Honoured at Remembrance Day Ceremony in Ottawa
By Ijeoma Ukazu
On November 8, the legacy, struggles, and triumphs of Black service members in Canada took centre stage as veterans, families, and community members gathered to honour Black military contributions. The event, held at the Tom Brown Arena, Bayview, featured powerful reflections from retired Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Captain Kevin Junor and Rear Admiral Jacques Olivier, the first Black officer in Canadian history to reach the rank of general.
Rear Admiral Olivier, Director General of Culture, Culture Chief of Professional Conduct and Culture at National Defence Headquarters, opened the ceremony with a moving address, stating that “the ceremony reminds us that remembrance is not a single day on the calendar. It is an act of gratitude and justice and that the names and faces of Black service members are remembered, not as footnotes in history but as central threads in Canada’s military story.”
He highlighted the long-standing contributions of Black soldiers, adding, “from the soldiers of the No. 2 Construction Battalion, who served in segregation yet with unmatched dignity to today’s sailors, soldiers, and aviators who continue to wear the maple leaf with pride. The legacy of Black service is one of courage, perseverance, and excellence. As we stand together, we honour not only the memory of those who came before us but also the living legacy they entrusted in us, a call to build an armed forces and a nation where belonging is unconditional.”
Olivier noted that the year carried special significance, pointing to the apology delivered on October 30 by the Chief of the Defence Staff and the CAF Chief Warrant Officer. The apology, he said, was directed to “current and former members, as well as their families, who suffered from the impacts of systemic racism, racial discrimination, and racial harassment during their military service. That was a moment of institutional reflection and humility.”
In an interview with Black Ottawa Scene, at an event organised by Jaku Konbit, The Defence Team Black Employees Network, and Veterans Affairs, the Rear Admiral reflected on his historic achievement. “It made me very proud, but it’s also there’s a duty to being the first and the only,” he said. “Everyone is watching, and you live your life under extreme scrutiny. My conduct and behaviour have to be beyond reproach. So, it’s a duty which I fully embrace, and it’s also something very gratifying.”
He added that he hopes his legacy will remove barriers for future generations. “I accept that legacy of being the first, and I hope that those who will come after me will not have to go through the same hurdles. The burden and the stigma of a Black general is now gone. People will not question if a Black officer can be a general anymore. I removed that barrier.”
Offering advice to young Black Canadians considering a military career, he said, “You have to choose your battles. You have to think strategically and not confuse resilience with insanity. Racism exists, period. When it happens, consider it a distraction. Focus on your craft. Focus on progress.”
Guest speaker retired Captain Kevin Junor also shared his reflections with Black Ottawa Scene, on recognition of Black military service. “I’m very proud to see Rear Admiral Olivier as first person ever to reach that level,” he said. However, he added that discrimination has prevented other qualified Black service members from advancing. “If the military was able to look at individuals based on merit and not on nepotism or favouritism. We would have more of a diverse senior leadership.”
Junor called for a shift in how potential is assessed. “Look at their competencies, look at their capabilities. I don’t need somebody that think like me. I need somebody that’s going to enhance how I think.”
To young Black Canadians, he described the military as a place of opportunity. “It’s a career that will allow you to see places and develop skills that a lot of organisations wouldn’t allow you to develop, be the better you can be, because they will take care of you and they will allow you to see your potential.”
The benediction was delivered by Imam Michael Taylor, who said, “Our shared experiences of loss, of nationhood, of valour and courage, these and other experiences come crashing down on us in this season of remembrance. Causing us to respond, to remember, to ponder, and to think of our place in community, our place in the nation, and our place before you, O God.”
He continued, “We give thanks. We pay our respects to those who have walked before us, while we ourselves stay on course. We walk together, O Lord, some of us fast, some of us slowed by age or infirmity — but we walk. Help us to walk toward a future that is inclusive, meaningful, and welcoming.”
Highlights of the ceremony included the recitation of the poem In Flanders Fields by John McCrae, read by Bemnet Shawel, the laying of wreaths, and the singing of the royal anthem.
