I think it's easier for some people to be able to trace their ancestry than it is for others. I have encountered people coming from different parts of the world, and they don't even know what their exact birth date is. Clearly they are challenged further in just trying to identify other aspects of their own story.
My story was removed from me in part because I didn't know to ask. I didn't know that it was there. My father had left New Brunswick early in his life and didn't really go back for a very long time. So it wasn't until I made contact with relatives in that area that I was inspired by some of that information. The Canadian government has also published some material on the No. 2 Construction Battalion and veterans, which includes material that I can identify. A black senator, Calvin Ruck, did a phenomenal job of creating a book on the No. 2 Construction Battalion. Once I had some of the clues about my own family tree to go through, without having to do a whole lot of more research, I could verify that 60% of all the people from New Brunswick were related to me, and that was really mind-blowing.
There is just one other point I should make. While I was very lucky to have that opportunity for myself, not everybody has that opportunity. I think that where there are those opportunities to trace it, it's wonderful and it's inspiring to know and to affirm that there are roots in this country. But black history isn't just about saying, “Hey, my ancestors were a part of the No. 2 Construction Battalion in a significant way”, or that the Carty brothers, who are related to me, could have been wiped out had something tragic happened during World War II. All of them, the whole family, a whole generation, could have been wiped out, but they all managed to come back. That isn't the story. That is part of the story. I think to hyper-focus on a family is one part, but the other part is the bigger story: that we have been here; that we have contributed; that we have brought wealth; that we have defended this country; and that we will continue to do so. That is a really big part of the story.