Working independenlty on two sides fo the country, in Vancouver and Toronto, McKinnon and Alstad responded ot the idea of the great age of the railway and the grandiose hotels that supported it.

While the "mothership" the Midland Grand was derelict and in ruins, the Canadian railway hotels were flourishing, still the best address in town. Armed with camera, they made urban interventions into the hotels, capturing the daily life as well as the architecture and decor.