Petty Officer William Hall was chosen as Nova Scotia’s honouree for this year’s Heritage Day, and the Province teamed up with the Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia and the RCN for a celebration of Hall’s life at the Naval Museum of Halifax on February 19. Cdr Paul Smith, Commanding Officer of the Naval Reserve Division HMCS York, gave a keynote address exploring the impact Black Canadian history has had on his life and career. He touched on the Black Loyalists in Nova Scotia, the No. 2 Construction Battalion, and William Hall himself.
“I’ve served in uniform for going on 38 years now, and I’ve had different points in my career where I’ve needed a little bit of motivation,” LCdr Smith said. “The story of William Hall is a story of service long before me, at a time where someone who looked like me wasn’t welcomed, wasn’t understood, wasn’t appreciated, yet still found the determination and the drive to do what he knew was the right thing.”
