[1][2] Kean began filming the activities of BC military units immediately after Canada declared war in August 1914.The departure of battalions and regiments to join the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was always reported in local and regional newspapers, and Kean's presence with his camera was often noted.[3] Publicity for Kean's compilation describes it as either three to four reels in length (approximately 3,000 to 4,000 feet of 35mm film), and its running time would likely have been between 44 and 66 minutes.[4] Like most of Kean's other productions, British Columbia for the Empire has long since been lost or destroyed.Its place within the chronology makes it one of the earliest Canadian feature-length films, and the first made in British Columbia.
Newspaper ad for a screening of the film at the Opera House, Kamloops, BC. (
Inland Sentinel,
[Kamloops], 16 Feb. 1916, 4.)
