OTTAWA, ON, March 13, 2026 /CNW/ - From pre-Confederation conflicts through to the war in Afghanistan, Black Canadians have had a proud tradition of military service. They have fought and died for freedom abroad, even as they have struggled against discrimination at home. Starting March 13, Portraits – Stories of Black Canadian Military Service — a travelling exhibition developed by the Canadian War Museum in partnership with the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia and the Niagara Military Museum — celebrates the contributions of Black Canadians in the military through compelling accounts of service and sacrifice from across the country.

"The breadth and depth of Black Canadian military service throughout history is unfortunately not well known," said James Whitham, Director General, Canada War Museum and Vice-President, Research, Collections and Exhibitions, Canadian Museum of History. "We're pleased to have the opportunity to deepen our audience's appreciation of the military contributions of Black Canadians."

Originally developed with the Niagara Military Museum for presentation at the War Museum in 2022, Portraits expands on that version of the exhibition to explore how Black Canadians from regions across Canada have had an enduring presence in the nation's military history.

This text- and image-based exhibition highlights the contributions and experiences of several Black men and women from Nova Scotia and southern Ontario — two historic centres of Black migration to Canada — as well as other parts of Canada. An introductory timeline provides context for the involvement of Black Canadians in key conflicts. In each zone, the stories are presented in chronological order.

Visitors will recognize familiar names and events, such as the story of William Hall, one of Canada's first recipients of the Victoria Cross. They will also discover many lesser-known stories of service and sacrifice, like that of Connie and Kathleen Brown, twin sisters who served during the Second World War.

Portraits – Stories of Black Canadian Military Service will be presented at the War Museum from March 13 to June 7, 2026. The exhibition was previously on view at the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia in Halifax (March 10 to July 13, 2025) and the Guelph Museums (August 23 to February 22, 2026). Following this presentation, the exhibition will travel to the National Air Force Museum of Canada in Trenton for a showing from June 27 to September 27, 2026.

The Canadian War Museum is Canada's national museum of military history. Its mission is to promote public understanding of Canada's military history in its personal, national and international dimensions. 

MEDIA AVAILABILITY: The War Museum invites media to visit the exhibition and to speak with exhibition team members between 10 am and 12 pm on March 13.

For more information, or for images, please contact Avra Gibbs Lamey at 613-791-0910 or avra.gibbs-lamey@warmuseum.ca.

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SOURCE Canadian War Museum