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
The first Canadian contingent in the South African War was nicknamed “The Gallant Thousand” because its members had enlisted voluntarily. Support for the war was particularly strong among English-speaking citizens and political elite. Popular with French-speaking Canadians, Henri Bourassa, then serving as a deputy in Ottawa for Quebec, became the main critic of this war effort.
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