Parrish and Heimbecker’s current elevator at Dutton Siding, west of Gilbert Plains, Man. (ParrishAndHeimbecker.com)

P+H plans new elevator east of Winnipeg

Grain company Parrish and Heimbecker is set to put up one of the easternmost primary grain elevators in Western Canada, not far from one of its existing sites. The privately held Winnipeg company announced Friday it will start construction this month on a 25,000-tonne capacity grain elevator on Canadian National Railway track at Dugald, Man.,

An elevator at Domain was built in 1928 by Manitoba Pool Elevators. Nine years later, a collapsing foundation forced it to close until repairs could be made. Initially rated with a 40,000-bushel capacity, it was enlarged with temporary balloon annexes in 1951 then with a 60,000-bushel, 18-bin crib annex in 1966. The facility was fully renovated in 1992. Closed by Agricore in 2001, it was sold into private ownership that oversaw the addition of two steel tanks on its north side.

PHOTOS: This Old Elevator: May 2019

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 it is supplying these


Early terminal elevators, like this one at what’s now Thunder Bay, were subject to the “no mixing” rule.

The origin of the ‘no mixing’ rule

This regulation helped build Western Canada’s global grain reputation but it had downsides

Recent articles by the Manitoba Agricultural Museum on loading producer cars mentioned the “no mixing” rule that was in force in the early days of the western Canadian grain trade. One reader has inquired about the origin of this rule, which is a very interesting tale. The “no mixing” rule meant when grain was graded

An elevator and crib annex at Sanford were built by Manitoba Pool in 1949 to replace ones destroyed by fire in September 1948. Closed in April 1996, it was sold into private hands. Demolition of the annex, seen here in January 2019, was akin to chopping down a tree. After making a large opening on one side, a push on the opposite side brought it down. It took 30 minutes from start to finish then the wood was hauled to the local landfill and burned. Four weeks later, the elevator fell in the same manner.

PHOTOS: This Old Elevator: March 2019

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 it is supplying these

A 40,000-bushel elevator at Hargrave, on the CPR Broadview Subdivision, was built in 1928 by Manitoba Pool for a local farmer co-operative. In 1952, its capacity was increased to 85,000 bushels with the construction of a balloon annex alongside it. Traded to United Grain Growers in April 1979, the elevator was operated successively by Agricore United and Viterra. Closed in 2011, the steel tanks were disassembled and the elevator was demolished in July 2014.

PHOTOS: This Old Elevator: February 2019

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 it is supplying these


A 42,000-bushel elevator at Forrest, five miles north of Brandon, was built in 1927 by Manitoba Pool. A year later, 22-year-old George Turner was hired as its grain buyer. Transferred to Winnipeg in 1941, he rose through the ranks to become general manager and president of the company. A 66,000-bushel crib annex was built beside the elevator in 1956. The facility closed in mid-1980 when its CPR line was abandoned. It remained in use for private grain storage until about a year before this photo was taken in April 2017. Demolition began in late November 2018.

PHOTOS: This Old Elevator: January 2019

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 it is supplying these

A CN train hauling grain cars circles the loop at GrainsConnect’s Maymont, Sask. loop-track/power-on terminal. The locomotive never has to be detached from the train when loading or unloading, which cuts the time it spends at an elevator by up to half compared to conventional grain terminals.

Don’t stop: Loop tracks set to revolutionize shipping

If you never decouple the locomotive, you never lose braking pressure – and that's huge

The loop-track/power-on grain terminals popping up throughout the Prairies are kind of like the marines — no rail car gets left behind. That’s one example of how these terminals improve efficiency in Canada’s grain transportation system, said Warren Stow, president of GrainsConnect Canada, whose company is currently building two such facilities in the Alberta communities

(Dana Omland photo courtesy Ceres Global Ag)

Ceres lands tenant for Niagara-area grain elevator

A former Robin Hood flour mill repurposed as an export grain elevator in the Niagara region will devote the bulk of its capacity to a new tenant starting next summer. Minneapolis-based Ceres Global Ag Corp. announced Tuesday it has a new long-term storage and handling agreement in place with London Agricultural Commodities (LAC). The agreement


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.

PHOTOS: This Old Elevator: October 2018

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 it is supplying these

CGC spokesman Remi Gosselin says the decision not to license feed mills reflects the low risk of payment defaults to farmers and to Canada’s grain quality assurance system.

Canadian Grain Commission rejects licensing feed mills

That means farmers delivering grain to feed mills won’t be covered by the CGC’s payment security program

It remains “seller beware” for farmers delivering grain to feed mills. The Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) will continue to exempt feed mills from being licensed, it announced Sept. 12. That means feed mills won’t have to post security in the case of payment defaults to cover the value of grain farmers deliver. The CGC also