Kenaston, Saskatchewan

 I've posted a blog and photo of Kenaston previously. I thought it worthwhile to take updated photos of the grain elevators in this village of about 250 inhabitants. It looks much the same as it did about ten years ago. The large snowman still stands near elevator row. I'm not sure if that's meant to attract tourists, but each town or village seems to be erecting a large this or that to attract people to the area. Nowadays, with the ever-decreasing number of wooden grain elevators still in existence they, perhaps, will be the tourist draw in the near future. That might be incentive to keep them and convert those no longer being used to restaurants, hotels, or whatever might be an attraction. This may prove to be too costly to build and run, but the idea is worth considering and has been considered, I'm sure. I guess once us older folks are gone, the younger ones won't have the memories we do and it will eventually only be folklore that keeps memories of prairie grain elevators alive.

Kayville, SK

We drove through Kayville this past June and were surprised to see a grain elevator still standing, a church that looked to be well-maintained, and only a few houses. I checked online and Kayville closed it's remaining businesses in 2004. Apparently there are only 6 adults and one child still residing there. This is likely an example of the urbanization of Saskatchewan, very much like the rest of the country and the world. There are farms around but they, too, have dwindled in numbers as they became bigger and bigger. The history of homesteading in the area is typical of western Canada at the turn of the last century.
The one plus, I suppose, is that I got another Saskatchewan grain elevator photo to post and to treasure.  As you can see from the photo of the elevator it is totally isolated and, were it not for the neighbouring grain farmers, there'd be nothing left to see other than the flat prairie landscape.

Gravelbourg, SK

Gravelbourg was established in 1906 and at one time had nine grain elevators to serve the many farmers in the area. Here's a link to the history of this very French town in south central Saskatchewan. It apparently has been dubbed "little Europe" due to the strong European influence of the original settlers.
I've included two photos I took in June (2012) when we drove to Gravelbourg to see the Cathedral and to have dessert and coffee in "Little Paris" Cafe.

Davidson, Saskatchewan

Davidson sits about half-way between Saskatoon and Regina. It used to be a fairly major trading centre before transportation improved and the four-lane highway was built, by-passing the town. The population is dropping and is below 1,000 inhabitants as of 1996. There are still some wooden grain elevators standing that are being used. I've posted photos of Davidson's elevators before on this blog, but thought I'd post the one I took this summer by "painting" it using a photoshop plug-in.

I'm also posting a photo from the restaurant at the south-end of Davidson where we usually stop for coffee. It's a great pit-stop when traveling between the two cities. I like the way they've decorated the restaurant by placing older furniture and items in various corners to give the impression of times past.

Craik: Friendliest Place by a Dam Site

My title is the title of a book written about Craik in 1985 and posted online. Click here if you'd like to have a look. Craik is a village located about an hour's drive north of Regina, the capital city of Saskatchewan. Drive another hour and a half and you're in the largest city in Saskatchewan, Saskatoon. Craik's elevator is still standing and looks to be in use by the local farmers. We drove by it on our way from Saskatoon to Regina in June and quickly grabbed this photo before this grain elevator, too, disappears.
(I need to pay more attention to my previous posts, as I see I've already included this one.)

Rockglen

We stopped to eat at Rockglen on our way through southern Saskatchewan this past June. First, we had to take some photos of the grain elevator that still stands there. The countryside was more rolling just around the village, giving the small hills prominence on the otherwise flat prairies. I've added a link to go to if you wish to learn more about this village and its history.
I've discovered a neat photo editing program that's free online. I played with my photo of Rockglen and quite like the results. See if you agree.

Coronach, Saskatchewan

This past June we made a point of traveling through part of southern Saskatchewan. Any grain elevators we saw along the way meant stopping to take their photos. The town of Coronach is probably the furthest south we got as this town is only 10 kms north of the Canada/US border. The link I've included tells how this small town almost died out but was rejuvenated when the Poplar River Power Project began nearby in 1974. The countryside is wide open and prone to high winds and dry, hot weather. I'm glad I didn't have to farm there, but I admire those that settled there and those that are still there. There are two elevators in Coronach and they look like they're still in use. Just like the "old days".

Chamberlain, Saskatchewan

Chamberlain is the only town or village on the way from Regina to Saskatoon that one has to drive through. All the other places are routed past the populated centres. I don't know the reason for this, but it certainly is of benefit to the small village of about 100 residents. It's also at the junction of the highway to Moose Jaw. And, it still has its wooden grain elevator. It's as though time has stopped still here. And, since it forces traffic to slow down to 50 kmh many travelers, including truckers, stop there for a coffee or a pit stop.
I finally got a photo of this elevator this past June. I'm posting it for the first time on this blog. It's obvious by the whited out area on the side of the elevator that it's no longer a POOL elevator. It's not clear who owns it but SaskTel either owns it or pays someone to advertise on it. Interesting "billboard".

Bladworth, Saskatchewan

We drove by Bladworth again this June (2012) and I thought I'd update my photo of the elevator still standing. I like the gravel road and the telephone poles all leading towards the elevator. I took this shot from a ways back to give a sense of perspective and relative distance that's so common on the wide open prairies.
In my research of Bladworth I found a history book of the village that's been scanned and put online. It's a fun read with lots of photos. If you're a history buff it's an interesting find. It's easy to navigate by using the drop-down menu to pick a section or photos, etc.

Bengough, SK

 Bengough is another southern Saskatchewan town that still has an elevator remaining to mark its existence along the flat rolling plains. We stopped in Bengough to ask how to get to the Big Muddy Badlands. We only had to drive another 20 kms south and we were there. If you want to see part of the world that seems to be in the middle of nowhere, this is worth the drive. Only an hour and a half south of Regina and about half an hour north of the Montana border and you're in Begough.
Here's how the grain elevators looked in June, 2012.

Avonlea, SK

We were surprised to find an elevator still standing at Avonlea on our travels south of Regina this past June (2012). I searched online for Avonlea and found a great historical site about this small town and area. I would highly recommend going to it by clicking here. After reading the history of the town and area, click on Gallery and view the old photos and videos as well as listen to audio recordings of some pioneers.  I once again gained an appreciation for the hardships the first Europeans endured in order to begin life there. There were up to four elevators in Avonlea at one time! Now only one remains.

Assiniboia, Saskatchewan

On our recent travels to Saskatchewan we drove south of Regina, stopped at the Big Muddy Badlands to see Castle Butte, and stayed overnight in Assiniboia. Even though I was born and raised in Saskatchewan I still marvel at the wide open areas in this part of the province. The joke about being able to watch your dog run away from home over the period of a few days comes to mind. We got the impression that time has stood still here in many ways, even though the farm equipment is modern and the internet is available. Fascinating to visit, but not sure I'd want to live here. They still have a standing wooden grain elevator. We stayed in a motel just across the street from it. I took this photo as the sun was sinking in the western sky. Sunsets are often grand on the prairies. This time there were too many clouds but the sun peaked through enough to cast a pink light. It had rained quite a bit so I was able to take advantage of a puddle to reflect the name of the elevator.

Craik, SK

I haven't entered a new grain elevator photo for some time, mainly because we didn't get back to good old Saskatchewan for two years. We finally were in Saskatchewan this month and I managed to add eleven more elevators to my list. That makes about 125 photos of elevators from different locations. Today I'm adding the Craik elevator. I've included a link to Wiki to give the reader the size and location of this village. It's just off the Saskatoon to Regina highway. It's one of the few still standing.