Brunkild Pool UGG_cmyk.jpg
At the time of this 1962 photo, Brunkild had three grain elevators, one operated by United Grain Growers and two by Manitoba Pool (A at left, B in the middle). The UGG agent was G. A. Angus while the Pools were managed by Gene Ferens (A) and Joseph Storey (B). Only the Pool A elevator survives today, in use by BESCO Grain.
Photo: UGG photo collection, University of Manitoba Archives
Kane UGG Paterson_cmyk.jpg
The UGG elevator at Kane, seen in this 1960 photo shortly after its purchase from the Canadian Consolidated Grain Company, closed in May 1996 and was demolished in August 1996. The Paterson elevator, built in late 1947 to replace one destroyed by fire earlier that year, still stands although its two annexes were replaced by a new elevator built in 1982. The railway spur was removed in 2007 but the elevator is used by local farmers for their own grain storage.
Photo: UGG Photo Collection, U of M Archives
Glass Scottish_cmyk.jpg
A grain elevator in the RM of Springfield was formerly used by the Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society to buy Prairie grain for its flour mills in Scotland. Formerly on the CNR line at the siding of Glass, it was moved about two miles northwest of the original site, where it sat at the time of this 1992 photo. The elevator was demolished in 2015.
Photo: Manitoba Historic Resources Branch
Smart Siding Pool.jpg
A 26,000-bushel grain elevator in the RM of Elton at Smart Siding, named for CNR superintendent Valentine Smart, was constructed at Forrest in 1928. Manitoba Pool moved it six miles to the siding in August 1964 to replace a National Grain elevator destroyed by fire in July 1962. Although labelled “Smart,” the elevator continued to be operated as “Forrest B.” A 43,000-bushel annex, visible in this aerial photo taken in the 1990s, was constructed in 1968. The elevator was demolished in 2002.
Photo: S. J. McKee Archives, Brandon University
In the 1950s, there were over 700 grain elevators in Manitoba. Today, there are fewer than 200. You can help to preserve the legacy of these disappearing “Prairie sentinels.”
The Manitoba Historical Society (MHS) is gathering information about all elevators that ever stood in Manitoba, regardless of their present status. Collaborating with the Manitoba Co-operator it is supplying these images of a grain elevators in hopes readers will be able to tell the society more about it, or any other elevator they know of.
MHS Gordon Goldsborough webmaster and Journal editor has developed a website to post your replies to a series of questions about elevators. The MHS is interested in all grain elevators that have served the farm community.
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Your contributions will help gather historical information such as present status of elevators, names of companies, owners and agents, rail lines, year elevators were built — and dates when they were torn down (if applicable).
There is room on the website to post personal recollections and stories related to grain elevators. The MHS presently also has only a partial list of all elevators that have been demolished. You can help by updating that list if you know of one not included on that list.
Your contributions are greatly appreciated and will help the MHS develop a comprehensive, searchable database to preserve the farm community’s collective knowledge of what was once a vast network of grain elevators across Manitoba.
Please contribute to This Old Grain Elevator website here.
You will receive a response, by email or phone call, confirming that your submission was received.
Goldsborough is especially interested in determining when elevators were demolished. Readers with photos of elevator demolitions and dates of when these occurred can contact him directly at [email protected] or call 204-782-8829.
