Riverton Pool_CMYK.jpg
In 1949, Manitoba Pool built an elevator at Riverton. A nearby Federal Grain elevator, purchased in 1971, was moved beside it and converted into an annex, as seen in this photo from June 1977. Use of the CPR line from Gimli ended in 1988, but the 63,000-bushel facility continued to operate off track for two more years. Finally closed in December 1990, it was later demolished.
Photo: George Penner
Russell Pool_cmyk.jpg
On March 5, 1974, the Manitoba Pool elevator and two annexes at Russell were destroyed by fire, along with 90,000 bushels of wheat. Construction of a replacement began within three months and, on January 30, 1975, a 170,000-bushel composite-style elevator (with elevator and annex combined into a single unit) was opened officially. Closed by Agricore in 2001 and sold to local interests, the off-track facility, seen here in June 2018, remains in use for private grain storage.
Photo: Gordon Goldsborough
Alexander Pool_cmyk.jpg
In 1980, an annex at Alexander was constructed by Manitoba Pool Elevators, next to an elevator dating from 1927. In early 1990, machinery from the elevator was salvaged then the elevator was demolished. A new elevator was built using the renovated office and drive shed from its predecessor. An official opening ceremony was held on September 5, 1990. Five days later, a former Paterson elevator that had stood immediately to the east was destroyed by fire. Three steel tanks were added in 1993 then the complex was closed by Agricore United in early 2002 and sold to a local grain processor.
Photo: Gordon Goldsborough
Lyleton Pool_CMYK.jpg
The former Manitoba Pool elevator at Lyleton was built in 1928. In 1967, a temporary annex dating from 1952 was replaced by a new metal-clad annex that increased the facility’s total capacity to 128,000 bushels. In April 1976, swollen waters of the Souris River washed out a railway bridge between Lyleton and Waskada. The CPR, which wanted to abandon the line to Lyleton, decided not to replace the bridge. Without a railway connection to the outside world, the elevator closed in December 1976 and the line was formally abandoned in December 1977. The elevator, seen in this photo from July 2016, was sold into private hands.
Photo: Gordon Goldsborough
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 elevator each week 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 interested in hearing all sorts of experiences about the elevators — funny, sad, or anything in between. Readers willing to share their stories can leave messages at 204-474-7469.
