Quebec City. The Northern Pioneers, being too small of a group to form a battalion, had to blend with the London-based 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Canadian Contingent. Francis Pegahmagabow was one of the men who voluntarily enlisted in Parry Sound days after war had been declared and became a member of this 1st battalion. After the war The Northern Pioneers came back into existence after the war and remained in existence until 1936 when it was absorbed into The Algonquin Regiment, based out of North Bay. The 162nd Battalion A year into the First World War the Prime Minister of Canada, Robert Borden, decided the Canadian forces were to be doubled in size to half a million soldiers. This number was going to be difficult to garner since the total population of Canada at the time was around 8 million. A plan was devised by Minister of Militia, Sam Hughes, to turn each electoral district into a battalion area. The thought process was that more people would be willing to enlist if they knew they would be going overseas with their friends and neighbours. The plan worked and on 2 December 1915 the 23rd Regiment in Parry Sound was authorized to raise the 162nd Battalion. Battalion Numbers and Insignia Numbers and insignia were randomly drawn for each battalion; Parry Sound drew 162 whereas the neighbouring Muskoka drew 122. The 162nd Battalion badge was a pair of axes parked in a pine stump. The battalion referred to themselves as the "Timber Wolves from Parry Sound" due to their lineage tracing back to the 23rd Northern Pioneers, whose badge had the head of a wolf on it. Call to Arms and Absorption Over 700 men enlisted and went to war. On 11 August 1916 the Battalion made its way to Camp Niagara-on-the-Lake for advanced training. On October 31, 1916, the ranks in training in Niagara sailed from Halifax on the Caronia. The 162nd Battalion existed for a short time though. They operated out of Canada from 2 December 1915 to November 1, 1916. They then went to Europe but were only a whole group from 11 November 1916 to 4 January 1917. From that point on they were broken up and absorbed into the 3rd and 4th battalion, used as reinforcement for the Canadian Corps. out in the field. References Footnotes Works cited Battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force