Myrtle UGG_cmyk.jpg
A grain elevator and annex at Myrtle, on the CNR Miami Subdivision in the Rural Municipality of Roland, was built in 1928 and operated by United Grain Growers. Seen here in 1966, the complex was closed and demolished in 1984 after a new, larger elevator was opened at nearby Roland.
Photo: Agricore United Engineering Department, Tom Price (Mgr), provided by Glenn Dickson
Dutton 1964_cmyk.jpg
There were two chocolate-brown elevators at the Dutton Siding, on the CNR Togo Subdivision near Gilbert Plains, when this photo was taken in 1964. The UGG elevator at right had been built in 1920 and its annex was added in 1940. The left elevator was built by Paterson Grain before being sold in 1925 to Manitoba Pool. It was traded to UGG in late 1971. Between October and December 1976, both elevators were closed and later demolished.
Photo: Agricore United Engineering Department, Tom Price (Mgr), provided by Glenn Dickson
Plumas UGG1-2
At one time, United Grain Growers had three elevators at Plumas, on the CNR Gladstone Subdivision in what is now the Municipality of WestLake-Gladstone. One of them dated from May 1926, replacing an earlier elevator from around 1912 that had been leased then purchased by UGG in August 1924. This elevator was destroyed by fire on December 28, 1974 and not rebuilt. A second UGG elevator, known as Elevator #1 (photo taken in 1962), was formerly owned by the Western Canada Flour Mills. Built in 1898, it was purchased by UGG agent J.F. Rogers and resold to the company in June 1940. The third UGG elevator, known as Elevator #2 (photo taken in 1981), was constructed in 1949. Renovated in 1976, an annex from Tenby was moved beside it in 1977.
Photo: Agricore United Engineering Department, Tom Price (Mgr), provided by Glenn Dickson
Oakburn Pool_cmyk.jpg
This 50,000-bushel elevator in Oakburn, on the CNR Rossburn Subdivision in the Rural Municipality of Yellowhead was built in 1965 by Manitoba Pool Elevators. Its 22-bin crib annex, constructed 15 years earlier beside a smaller elevator that has since been demolished, was enlarged by 36,000 bushels in 1967. The facility was closed in April 1996 when the adjacent railway line was abandoned and it was sold by tender. The annex now has a large hole halfway up on its north side.
Photo: Jean McManus (2015)
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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Carman-based Linear Grain buys Fannystelle elevator from Bunge, another three elevators sold to Morden’s BP & Sons Grain and Storage Inc.
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.
