At the turn of the 20th century, war broke out in South Africa between the Boers—the descendants of the original Dutch, German and French colonizers—and the British. Canada, a dominion of the British Empire, sent soldiers overseas for the first time to support British troops. The first Canadian contingent of 1,000 volunteers left Québec City for South Africa by boat on October 30, 1899, shortly after the start of the conflict. The British won in 1902. See how Québec City residents experienced this milestone in the country’s history!
Louis Lachance
On October 30, 1899, the first contingent of soldiers set sail from Québec City to fight the Boers alongside the British in South Africa. It was formed by the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment from the Fredericton region of New Brunswick, an area that was home to English Canadians and French-speaking Acadians.
We use browser cookies to operate and enhance our services, as well as for advertising purposes. Your privacy is important to us. If you're not comfortable with the use of this information, please review your settings before continuing your visit. Personal Information and Privacy
Our website stores four types of cookies. At any time you can choose which cookies you accept and which you refuse. You can read more about what cookies are and what types of cookies we store in our Cookie Policy.
are necessary for technical reasons. Without them, this website may not function properly.
are necessary for specific functionality on the website. Without them, some features may be disabled.
allow us to analyse website use and to improve the visitor's experience.
allow us to personalise your experience and to send you relevant content and offers, on this website and other websites.
