This building still exists and operates to this day as “The Billy Miner Pub”. It is located on the Haney Bypass in Maple Ridge just off Highway #7. Built in 1910, it was first a Bank of Montreal building. Across the street is the Haney Railroad Station, owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Built by M.B. Charlton, it housed Port Haney’s first bank from 1911 to November of 1932, when it was damaged by fire. The bank was relocated to a new location on the upper Lougheed Hwy, and this building was than used for housing. Don and Bernice Gehring restored the building as the Billy Miner Pub, which opened up in 1981. They ran the establishment until 2001, when it was sold to new owners.
The name Billy Miner is synonymous with the famous train robber which held up the CPR. Train #1 on Sept 10. 1904, which had just left Mission Junction, located approximately 30 minutes east of the Billy Miner Pub. This was Canada’s first train robbery. There are many articles and web-sites describing his adventures in relation to this historical train robbery. The images above shows how the pub looks today and the inspiration for the model you are about to construct.