Regulation Station Building (Put Up by Contractor about every 10 miles)
BCA Photograph No. 74924
BCA Negative No. D-8581
Photo in Onderdonk Album, #4, 44. (BCA Accession No. 98401-006)

The location of this particular station house is not known, but may be on Contract 92, on the line between Emory and Port Moody.

Similar stations were located on all sections of Onderdonk's contracts. The first 'Call for Tenders' appeared in the August 5, 1880 issue of The Inland Sentinel for the "construction of twenty (20) Dwelling and Station Houses along the line of the Railway between Yale and Savona's, at points about equidistant from each other." A contractor could tender for one building or for the whole, and plans and specifications could be examined at the Dominion Agent's Office (Hon. Joseph Trutch) in Victoria or at the Railway Office in Yale. Tenders received were beyond the government's budget, and only a few houses were built. The call for tenders was repeated in July of 1881.

Much controversy was created by the Station and Section House Scandal in 1882 and 1883 which involved Onderdonk directly and indirectly. A Victoria firm's bid was set aside in favour of one from John Paterson, backed by Onderdonk, to build the station and section houses above Yale on Contracts 60-63. Paterson hired indifferent workmen to attend the construction and when it became apparent that the job was wholly unsatisfactory, more competent workmen had to be brought in to rectify slip-shod workmanship. At this point it seems that Paterson could not pay the workmen and defaulted. Apart from skilled carpenters, Paterson owed money to many Indians along the way who had hauled materials for the construction projects. Onderdonk refused to recognize the claims of the workmen who had worked for Paterson and hired his own crews to complete the work when work had to be completed. In this way, he was able to charge the Government for "extras." In this scheme, it was alleged that the Dominion Agent, Joseph Trutch, who had selected Paterson knowing of his past financial difficulties, acted improperly and this resulted in extra expenses for the government. Paterson apparently still owed money to Onderdonk, which may explain how Onderdonk stood to benefit once Paterson had failed. All this was extensively covered in Yale's Inland Sentinel, towards the late summer of 1882 and into the early part of 1883. Trutch was asked to account for his administration in Ottawa, and Onderdonk hired one of the more able CPR men to join his team as Superintendent in 1883.

But there were fewer irregularities on Contract 92, and the trim station house that appears here, would not have been too distant from other necessary structures, such as water towers.