Return of 231st Battalion, CEF from Sidney, BC. Photo # 4201. The troops are formed up on the ferry wharf at Pier D of the CPR Terminal ready to march back to their quarters at Hastings Park after four months of training at Sidney Camp. The distance is about 7 km. The troops are wearing CEF tunics, breeches and high puttees with forage caps. These caps have the Imperial Seaforth Stag's head cap badge on them (note soldier in lower right corner). The officers are wearing glengarries. The soldiers are carrying bed rolls over their shoulders and rifles. Their duffel (kit) bags are being loaded onto a truck. There are persons in civilian and military clothing on and around the pier. The caption on the bottom of the photo states: "RETURN OF 231ST FROM SIDNEY". From the 231st Battalion, CEF Souvenir Booklet: The 231st Battalion, CEF in training at Sidney on Vancouver Island, 1916. Late in June [1916] the order came for them [the 231st Battalion] to proceed to Sidney for training, and an advance party was at once sent over to prepare the camp for the reception of the regiment. On July 4th the battalion marched through the city streets to the C.P.R. wharf, 564 strong, less a small number to be left behind for recruiting and to form the nucleus of "C" Company. The steamer "Princess Mary" was in readiness and was attached to the battalion for training. On August 28th "C" Company now 150 strong, was welcomed to the camp. No more ideal site for a training camp could be found than Sidney, the nature of the ground occupied being such as to present the salient features of actual warfare to those in training. Besides the regular battalion and company manoeuvres, ample target accommodation was provided in addition to the long ranges at Heals and the battalion was given a thorough schooling in this important branch at work. On November 1st, the regiment embarked at 10 o'clock on the steamer "Princess Sophia" and arrived in Vancouver at 3 o'clock in the afternoon to again occupy their old quarters at Hastings Park. The Canadian Pacific Railway embarked on a series of expansions in the years 1910-15. These included new railway equipment, ships, yards and the Second Hotel Vancouver. With the CPR expanding its Canadian Pacific Navigation Company, and it fleets running both Coastally to Seattle, Victoria, BC and Alaska—and Internationally—to Japan, China, and Hong Kong; the CPR needed more wharf space in Vancouver harbour. It had the CPR pier A which was really a single decked freight shed, and a small pier running parallel to the shore next to the train station. Thus the CPR built CPR Pier D on the water in front of the station. This is roughly the site where the Seabus terminal is now. CPR coastal vessels docked here. The large wooden dock, in a "New York" pier style, was opened in 1914. The Pier burned down in Vancouver's most spectacular fire on July 27, 1938. The pier was not rebuilt.