Museum exhibit examining Black military history is going mobile
Event planned for Nov. 4 at downtown armoury
When the First World War broke out, an estimated 2,000 young Black men eager to serve their country enlisted in the military, including St. Catharines resident James Grant.
Grant was a gunner who later became a driver. He served with the Royal Canadian Artillery, 49th Battery.
In November 1917, his actions in Belgium earned him the Military Medal for Bravery in the Field. He was the first African Canadian to be awarded the distinction.
Details of his service are featured in Niagara Military Museum’s Black Military History of Niagara exhibit, which examines Black military history from pre-Confederation to present day.
The exhibit at the Victoria Avenue armoury opened in February, and museum officials were determined to share the local hero’s story with a much larger audience.
“There are many remarkable local Black servicemen and women with inspirational stories that have mostly been untold,” said Kathy Doherty, who operates the museum with her husband Jim.
“We know that Black history is under-represented but in researching the subject we found that to be such an understatement, it is almost nonexistent.”
Having limited resources and no funding, the museum submitted an application in March to Veteran Affairs Canada for funding through its Commemorative Partnership Program which provides funding to organizations undertaking remembrance initiatives.
Approval was granted in August and the museum has been busy over the summer creating a travelling component of the exhibit.
“The museum wants viewers, especially students, to be aware that our shared Canadian history includes under-represented groups, especially our Black soldiers, who have contributed so much to our community without receiving the recognition they deserve,” Doherty said.
The exhibit is designed to be a contact-free activity and supports physical distance measures and other COVID-19 guidelines.
The travelling exhibit loan program begins circulation Nov. 9 with stops at Robert Land Academy in Wellandport and Williams Parkway Senior Public School in Brampton.
Apre-release event is planned for Nov. 4 at the downtown armoury.
This is the museum’s second foray into travelling exhibits.
An exhibit — C Force, The Hong Kong story — was to travel to Ottawa in August for the Hong Kong Veterans Association convention but the event was cancelled due to COVID-19.
The armoury was a registration depot and held prisoners during the Ukrainian Internment in the First World War.