The federal government will formally apologize to the No. 2 Construction Battalion this July.

The Nova Scotia-based battalion served in the First World War. It was the first military unit in Canada made up largely of Black personnel.

The apology will be delivered on July 9 in Truro, N.S.

“The apology is important for us historically to look at what happened in the past and to say publicly to all Canadians, including the descendants of the No. 2 Construction Battalion, that the discrimination they faced was unacceptable,” said Anita Anand, Canada’s minister of defence.

The battalion was primarily used in a non-combat role. It built roads, cleared trees and maintained railway tracks among other duties.

Much work has been done to preserve the heritage of the unit.

Nova Scotia’s Black Cultural Centre and the Government of Canada worked together to develop a database to help identify members of the Battalion and their descendants.

Keep reading on CBC News