Check out our list of grain elevator books! There are tons of books about Canadian grain elevators, American ones, and grain elevators in general. See classics like Greg McDonnell’s Wheat Kings and newer ones like Chris Attrell’s Grain Elevators: Beacons of the Prairies.
Centennial Logos
In 1967, Canada celebrated its 100th anniversary. This was celebrated in many ways, including the production of a special penny, and a Confederation train that traversed the country, but one way was relevant to this site: the Centennial logos.
The Centennial logo was designed by Stuart Ash, and is a stylized Maple leaf composed of 11 coloured triangles – one for each province and one for the Northwest Territories. At the time the Yukon Territories and Nunavut did not exist.
The logo was one of the first applications of the maple leaf to represent Canada, and was reproduced in many ways during 1967.
The Saskatchewan Wheat Pool decided to apply the Centennial logo to the cupola of several of its grain elevators.
The towns that still have grain elevators that bear the Centennial logo are:
In the intervening 50+ years, the elements have worn the colours off the logos, but the basic shape remains.
Other towns that had grain elevators with the Centennial logo include: Hodgeville.
Meadows’ End
Last year, I was contacted by a Canmore AB based artist for permission to use one of my photos as a reference photo. An artist who goes by the moniker “Bigoudi” was creating an exhibition featuring falling grain elevators and wanted permission to use mine for one of the paintings she was creating. She shared a study she did of the image. I was pleased to grant her permission with the condition that I would get a print of the completed painting.
The exhibit “Falling Landmarks” was featured at the Elevation Gallery in Canmore, AB and Pascale sent me the print as promised. Here it is on my wall (hence the shadow line) alongside the original image that I took of the Meadows, Manitoba grain elevator‘s death on July 18, 2017.
I’m amazed at the painting she created. She captured the moment perfectly, while interpreting the image in her own way. I’m humbled that she wished to use my image and very pleased to have this print on my wall, to my left when I’m working.
You can see her work here, including several others from the same exhibition:
Building an Elevator, 1928 Style
I received these photographs of a grain elevator under construction in Saskatchewan in 1928. The location is unknown but you can see it was a Lake of the Woods elevator. The contributor’s grandfather, Arvid Koski, was one of the builders and is the person on the left on the top of the grain elevator.
Thanks for sharing these!
Welcome to Aidan Wakely-Mulroney!
I’d like to welcome a new contributor, Aidan Wakely-Mulroney! He contributed a collection of grain elevator photos from Alberta and the northwestern USA to Grain Elevators of Canada. Please visit Aidan’s contributor page to learn more. Thank you, Aidan!
Digitally Preserving Grain Elevators
Students from several Alberta universities and colleges are working to digitally preserve grain elevators in Alberta. This CBC article describes the work they are doing to record the Nanton grain elevators using NavVis digital mapping devices. I believe they have already recorded the Wrentham elevator.
Wooden grain elevators are being demolished every year and there aren’t many left. Initiatives like this, and sites like this one, are crucial to record these prairie sentinels before they are gone.
I love that technology like digital mapping, drones, satellite imagery, and digital cameras are all being used to record grain elevators. They are a great complement to film photographs from the heyday of wooden grain elevators, like the Donald Hamilton collection, the Howdy McPhail collection and the Ole Kirkhus collection.
Please consider contributing to our site to help preserve the memory of these elevators.
2023 Grain Elevator Calendars
Contributors Jason Paul Sailer and Mark David Zulkoskey are offering grain elevator calendars for 2023.
- Grain Elevators Across the Prairies by Mark Zulkoskey
- Wheat Kings 2023 by Jason Paul Sailer
Please consider buying one of their calendars!
Help Preserve a Grain Elevator
Please consider donating to preserve a grain elevator. The Ogilvie Wooden Grain Elevator Society owns the former Ogilvie grain elevator in Wrentham, Alberta, south of Lethbridge. This historic elevator is in its original location and is the last Ogilvie elevator left in Alberta, and one of very few remaining in Canada.
Wooden grain elevators are costly to maintain. Every donation helps! Your donation is tax deductible for Canadians.
Oldest Grain Elevator Being Dismantled
Regretfully, the former Lake of the Woods grain elevator in Elva, Manitoba is being dismantled. This grain elevator became the oldest remaining grain elevator in the Canadian prairies after the Fleming elevator was destroyed by arson.
There are actually two elevators in Elva, and a newer concrete elevator outside of town. The newer elevator in Elva is a former UGG elevator. The Lake of the Woods elevator is a short, squat elevator and was built in 1897.
The elevators will be dismantled and the cladding, boards and nails will be sold.
New Elevators for a New Year
We wish you a very belated “happy new year” for 2022. As a late gift for the new year, here are some “new to us” grain elevators to share, and some updates on existing elevators. We have been scanning more of the Donald Hamilton collection of grain elevator photos, as well as acquiring other images, and we have lots to share. Here are the new elevators for Grain Elevators of Canada, by province or state:
Manitoba
- Darlingford, Manitoba
- Foxwarren, Manitoba
- Hargrave, Manitoba
- Kemnay, Manitoba
- Kirkella, Manitoba
- Mather, Manitoba
- McCauley, Manitoba
- Menzie, Manitoba
- Pilot Mound, Manitoba
- Poplar Point, Manitoba
- Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
- Rosenfeld, Manitoba
- Ste. Rose, Manitoba