The
Grain Elevators
of
Alberta, Canada
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of Western Canada |
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| The grain elevators in Western Canada have for years been referred
to as prairie icons, prairie cathedrals or prairie sentinels and have become
a visual symbol of what farming in this part of the country is all about.
There were as many
as 5758 in 1933. These grain elevators dominated the prairie landscape for more than a century with every community having at least one. They were the first step in a grain trading process that moves the grain from producer to worldwide markets. The first grain elevator was a strictly utilitarian building considered by anyone that viewed them to be anything but that. They were designed for one purpose, getting the grain into railway boxcars. The farmers, who at first shoveled their grain into 2-bushel sacks which they then transported to a loading platform along the rail line. There, they emptied the sacks into a waiting boxcar, a back-breaking and inefficient job. They needed something much better if the west was to grow. A means of storing and shipping grain quickly, This brought about the small, one-storey wood frame warehouses erected by farmers. The railways demanded larger, vertical warehouses that could take advantage of gravity to empty the grain and a mechanism known as the "leg" was devised, an endless belt with cups or scoops attached, was devised to load the grain in the elevators. This leg is what gave the name to and determined the shape of the grain elevator. Today many of these grain elevators are being dismantled and removed from the landscape. Railway lines are being abandoned and the railways want them removed for safety reason. Many of the grain elevators shown on this site are no longer in existence. It’s just another sign of progress. I hope that you enjoy your visit to this site and can appreciate Art Grive’s work in keeping some of these alive. For a more detailed history of the Grain Elevators plese go to the following site . The Canadian Encyclopedia (Grain Elevators) |
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They were submitted to me by Art Grieve and his sister in-law Elizabeth Grieve unless otherwise indicated. They have collected these picture during their travels around the area. Many of these elevators are no longer standing You are invited to submit any picture that you have that fit any of these pages. Click here to E mail me John MacDonald |
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| Not one of these elevators is left standing today. |
| This picture was submitted by Massey F. Jones |
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| Three elevators viewed from a bridge overlooking the tracks in downtown
Red Deer Alberta in October 1989. Shortly after this photo was taken, the
rails were lifted and trains now run
further north, completely out of the downtown area. |
| This picture was submitted by Massey F. Jones |
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| This picture was submitted by Massey F. Jones |
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| This picture was submitted by Massey F. Jones |
| New grain elevators were constructed in 1948 north of the station
and in the late 1950s, more elevators were built on the south end of the
yard.
Five grain elevators were demolished (three on the east side of the yards and two on the west side) by 1992. (source: http://www.forthjunction.com/structures.htm). Following the CPR/VIA station closure in 1991 and CPR facilities relocation on the west side of the city, all tracks were removed. VIA passenger service had already ended in 1985, after 94 years. The CPR/VIA station is shown on my stations page. This view looking north, was taken from from a nearby bridge during the summer of 1990. |
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| This picture was submitted by Massey F. Jones |
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| This picture was submitted by Massey F. Jones |
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