Grain shippers in between legislation as rail service declines

Grain shippers in between legislation as rail service declines

The Fair Rail for Farmers Act is dead and the Transportation Modernization Act hasn’t become law

With rail service not meeting grain company demands, fears about a gap in remedies to deal with it have come to pass, says Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA). “What we predicted is exactly coming true,” Sobkowich said Dec. 14 in an interview. “We don’t have Bill C-49 (Transportation Modernization

A 40,000-bushel grain elevator at Mentmore, southwest of Neepawa in what is now the Municipality of North Cypress-Langford, was built in 1927 on land donated by Thomas Drayson. Operated by the Mentmore Co-operative Elevator Association, the first agent was Ken McDougall of Russell, who later purchased the local store. A crib annex was built beside the elevator between 1957 and 1959. The facility closed in December 1978 as the railway line was abandoned. The tracks were removed in June 1979. In the fall of 1980, the annex was moved to Franklin and, the following spring, the elevator was sold to Drayson descendants who used it as storage for their seed business. It appeared to be unused when this aerial photo was taken earlier this year.

PHOTOS: This Old Elevator: September 2017

The Manitoba Historical Society wants to gather information about all the grain elevators in Manitoba

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.


There were four elevators at Elgin when this photo was taken in 1981. The 30,000-bushel elevator in the foreground, built in 1928 by the  Canadian Consolidated Grain Company, had two balloon annexes and  fertilizer shed when it was sold to United Grain Growers in 1959. It  closed in 1985 and was demolished. The 50,000-bushel Manitoba Pool  elevator and annex beside it dates from 1926, while the side-by-side  Paterson elevators in the background consisted of a smaller one built  here in 1923 and a larger one brought from Wakopa in 1966. The Paterson  elevators were sold to Pool in 1981. The following year, the smaller one  was demolished as the larger one was renovated extensively and a modern  crib annex was built beside it. Today, only the former Paterson elevator  and its annex remain at the site, in private ownership.

PHOTOS: This Old Elevator: June 2017

The Manitoba Historical Society wants to gather information about all the grain elevators in Manitoba

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

A grain elevator at the former CPR railway siding of Cameron (named for Melita implements dealer A. E. Cameron, in the RM of Two Borders, was built by the Lake of the Woods Milling Company sometime between 1902 and 1910. It became part of Ogilvie Milling after the two companies merged in 1954 and was purchased by Manitoba Pool in 1959. The 38,000-bushel elevator was closed around 1970 and sold into private hands. It now stands abandoned, surrounded by cropland.

PHOTOS: This Old Elevator: January 2017

The Manitoba Historical Society wants to gather information about all the grain elevators in Manitoba

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

KAP submission says producer car facilities need not be licensed

KAP submission says producer car facilities need not be licensed

Requirement for official scales is also an unnecessary burden that could limit loading options

The Keystone Agricultural Producers is calling for a middle ground on licensing producer car loading facilities. In a submission to the Canadian Grain Commission, KAP is calling for no licence requirement for facilities that strictly load producer cars, but licensing for facilities that add dealer cars into the mix. Historically ‘dealer car’ had a different


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.

PHOTOS: This Old Elevator: August 2016

The Manitoba Historical Society wants to gather information about all the grain elevators in Manitoba

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

This 4,460-tonne elevator at Westroc Siding along the Yellowhead Highway northwest of Westbourne consists of two inter-connected wooden buildings. It was intended to serve the Amaranth, Langruth, and Longburn areas, whose elevators closed in 1984 due to rail line abandonment. The smaller 960-tonne wooden elevator to the northwest was moved from Langruth in late 1983 and renovated the following year. The larger 1,880-tonne wooden annex to the southeast was constructed in 1984. The metal silos were added in 1988. Once operated by Manitoba Pool, the facility was later sold to Delmar Commodities.

PHOTOS: This Old Elevator: July 2016

The Manitoba Historical Society wants to gather information about all the grain elevators in Manitoba

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

This pair of photos illustrates the 25,000-bushel UGG elevator at Whitemouth, in 1962 before it was repainted with more modern corporate colours, and in 1966 after its paint job and construction of a 34,000-bushel annex. Despite local opposition, the elevator was closed in July 1979.

PHOTOS: This Old Elevator: June 2016

The Manitoba Historical Society wants to gather information about all the grain elevators in Manitoba

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


Inglis Area Heritage Committee

Inglis Area Heritage Committee

Celebrating 20th anniversary this 
year and launching a campaign

The Inglis Area Heritage Committee is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Its mandate is to sustain, maintain and enhance the National Historic Site (as of 1996) of the only row of five restored wooden grain elevators in the world. Every year hundreds of visitors come to the site, open for public tours from June

A small wooden grain elevator in the village of Underhill, in what is now the Municipality of Grassland, was built in 1908 by the Underhill Farmers’ Elevator Company. One of three elevators operating here by 1917, its ownership was transferred to the provincial government in 1911, then leased and in 1926 purchased outright by United Grain Growers. In 1966, it was sold into private ownership. Graffiti on its side said “Burn Me Please.” It appears someone obliged and the elevator was gone by 
the mid-1990s.

PHOTOS: This Old Elevator: April 2016

The Manitoba Historical Society wants to gather information about all the grain elevators in Manitoba

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