When Cranbrook eclipsed Fort Steele as the business and financial centre of East Kootenay, the pressure to relocate the Provincial Government offices to Cranbrook was significant.

The result was to move the offices to Cranbrook after the official announcement on May 5th, 1904. Cranbrook had won the long inter-city feud. The result was the construction of this impressive building in the middle of Baker Street, generally in the area now taken up by the Safeway store.