170 years ago construction began on Ernestown Station, part of the first phase of the Grand Trunk Railway construction. Steve Manders, author of the First Spike, will help us to explore how the arrival of the railway transformed Loyalist Township, connecting the community to broader trade networks and fueling economic growth. This edition of the Culture Talks Series will examine the impact of railroads on industry, agriculture, and daily life in the Township, while reflecting on the lasting changes brought by this revolutionary mode of transportation. The Former Grand Trunk Railway (now Canadian National Railways) Station at Ernestown is a one-story, stone railway station, built in 1855-56. It is in Odessa on the northern shore of Lake Ontario. Although now closed, this building holds unique heritage value as one of the few remaining original Grand Trunk Railway stations.