From 1875-1900's, the railway station was seen as the heart of every Canadian town (J. Edward Martin. Railway Stations of Western Canada. p. 3). It was a meeting place, where people chatted in the evening and where goods and news were received and dispatched (J. Edward Martin. Railway Stations of Western Canada. p. 3) . Often when there was no church in a town, the station acted as a gathering place for many parishioners on Sunday morning.

Hope Museum Collection, #98323.16.A, Hope B.C.

In the early years of Canadian railway building, settlement and businesses grew and branched out from the central core of the station. Because of the continuous movement of passengers and the shipping of commodities in between towns, the railway station became the community's major link with the outside world.