Gull Lake, SK

While surfing the web about Gull Lake, Saskatchewan where I took this photo, I came across a painting of this elevator by Vickie Emms that portrays this elevator and landscape in another way.
Gull Lake is along the Trans Canada Highway west of Swift Current. The population is about 1,000. The elevator on the photo looks like it's getting on in age. I haven't been back there since I took the photo September, 2006, so it may be torn down by now. In the meantime, we can enjoy the prairie sentinel while it still stands.

Holiday Greetings

I wish everyone the best of the holiday season and may you have much to look forward to in 2009. In spite of the looming difficult economic times, now is the time to tap into the goodness of human nature and do what we can to see each other through the hard times.
Even though we may be losing part of our history as the prairie grain elevators are torn down, we must do like we do when we lose an old friend: Remember the good parts and use those memories to add to the goodness of our own lives.
Happy blogging!

Zenon Park, Saskatchewan

I've "enriched" this photo of Zenon Park's main street and grain elevator. A link to information about this small town is in the title. Villages and small towns throughout the prairies are losing their landmarks and are disappearing from view as a result. Much business is lost and many stores close after the elevators are gone. While it's a sign of the times, it's also a sad reflection of how progress brings changes that aren't always better. There's less dependency on the immediate neighbours and less friendly conversations and perhaps not-so-friendly gossip that occurs when paths seldom cross due to the longer distances to drive to deliver the grain and to get supplies.
The "small town" atmosphere is slowly shifting to "big box" shopping and big city supply centres.
In the meantime, we can reminisce and commiserate while we fondly recall the "good old days".

Saving the elevators

I came across this video done by CBC back in 1996, wherein the town of Inglis, Manitoba wanted to save the 4 elevators as an historical site. They realized that it would cost them $70,000 per elevator and weren't sure where they would get the money. I googled the name, Inglis, Manitoba and they seem to be promoting the four remaining elevators as an historical tourist attraction. Good for them. I would suggest that if any readers are traveling through Manitoba that they make sure to stop in and have a look at what prairie towns used to be like.
Upon further investigation, I've also found some photos from Inglis, calling the elevators, "Inglis Grain Elevators Historic Site". There are two photos including a map. Inglis is just north of Russell, Manitoba, just off Highway 16.
Good for Inglis and Manitoba for keeping history alive like this.

Marengo, SK

I received a comment on my YouTube site about Marengo. I checked my slideshow-video and realized that Marengo was not included as one of the 100 elevators. I have photos of 110 elevators and decided to limit the video to 100 in commemoration of Saskatchewan's Centennial in 2005.
I'm posting the photo here with a link to the YouTube video (that omits Marengo), in case the video's of interest as well.

A new link

Please check out My Links in the right hand column. I've posted 115 Saskatchewan Grain Elevator photos on Chris Attrell's web site. He's collected over 7,000 grain elevator photos from across Canada. It appears to be a popular site which speaks well for the interest there is in preserving the memories, at least, of these prairie structures where grain was stored and then transported to feed the rest of the world.

Same elevator, different story

It seems the Hepburn elevator is a favourite of mine. I found a write-up on this grain elevator and thought I should include it as it shows how a community can save these prairie icons if they have the will and the where-with-all.
A spiral staircase to the top with a tea house? Food for thought. I'm sure they'd appreciate everyone's financial contribution to the idea. It sure would be a good tourist attraction.
And, here's another photo rendition of this elevator.

Nice history of the prairie elevators

Every once in a while I google "grain elevators" and find some interesting articles. This one presents a short history of the elevators of the prairies and gives one a sense of the sadness in watching the demise of this past century's icons. I guess one can call it progress, but those of us who were raised amongst these prairie giants will miss them and the memories that go with them.

Today's article in the Regina Leader-Post

I came across this article today and thought I'd share it as it tells the story of one small rural Saskatchewan communities' commitment to keeping the oldest elevator in Canada standing and restored. Good for the Fleming folks!
I took this photo in 2006, not realizing how significant it was that this elevator was still standing. I converted it to black and white to give it a more archival look.

Monday » April 14 » 2008

Fleming is home to an icon

Ron Petrie
The Leader-Post

Monday, April 14, 2008


CREDIT: Courtesy of Kevin Weedmark, The Moosomin World-Spectator
The elevator in Fleming.
FLEMING -- In the blink that it took to erase from the landscape Saskatchewan's single most recognized icon, Fleming might have been excused for not realizing its own wooden grain elevator, a squat, hip-roofed job, was one for the ages.

Philip Hamm admits he wasn't fully aware. And he was mayor at the time. Now, eight years later, Hamm is president of the Fleming Historical Preservation Society, a group striving to restore, dollar by dollar, nail by screw, the oldest remaining grain elevator in Canada, opened by Lake of the Woods Milling Co. in 1895, a full decade before there even was a Saskatchewan.

In 2000, the scene railside at Fleming was one already familiar to hundreds of towns. A demolition crew had arrived to tear down the last two of what were once four elevators buying grain in town. The work commissioned by Agricore United was to begin with its old United Grain Growers structure and then move on to the smaller elevator, by then converted for bulk fertilizer storage.

"A couple of ladies in town raised their hackles and said there was no way they'd allow the little old elevator to be torn down," Hamm says. The women sought municipal help, placing council in something of a predicament, smack between: a) townspeople who might have chained themselves to the elevator (They really would have done that? I ask, to which Hamm gives me a look as if to say, well...thank goodness it never came to that) and, b) the demolition foreman, who warned that if the work was stopped, the town could be on the hook for $30,000 for a tear-down at a later date. Through a timely call to the Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation for advice and guidance, Fleming residents learned that a just-completed list of 60 old elevators rated for historical and architectural significance placed theirs first overall.

At that point, says Hamm, there was no way the elevator was coming down.

"The grain elevator is still an icon in Saskatchewan, and once we knew we had the oldest one, we felt a responsibility to save it, not only for ourselves, but for history. It was really close, though. If the demolition crew had started on it before the other elevator, it would gone today."

And it is special this elevator, novel among all the 3,300 that once served as the town skylines across Saskatchewan. Eight years older than the next most ancient elevators still standing, the 32,000-bushel Fleming station was predated probably only by two long since vanished from Indian Head and Moosomin. Its blockish design, with waffle-stamped tin siding and a large square cupola atop, was common to elevator construction only until 1910 and the advent of the more slender, sloped look. Located at the east end of the town siding, six kilometres from the Manitoba border, the elevator was for years the first encountered by trains entering Saskatchewan on the CPR main line, the last passed when leaving.

"Exceptional" is the word you could use, and you might as well, because exception appears to be the rule here in Fleming. For years of population decline town council refused to revert its municipal status back to a village. Now, with an official 2006 census population of 75 (albeit growing of late, like most rural communities), Fleming proudly boasts the legal distinction of being the smallest incorporated town in Canada. From 1929-33, Fleming had its own radio station, CJRW, broadcasting local programs between relays from Winnipeg. The town ballpark is not only one of the Saskatchewan's oldest, built in the early 1900s, but also, today, as home of fastball's Fleming Jets, with its fencing, groomed grass, spectator seating and a red crushed-gravel infield, a diamond that's Field of Dreams pretty, among the province's finest. What's more, the ballpark's new towered lights make for one of the more exceptional political arguments I've ever heard -- wouldn't be needed, they say, if Saskatchewan had Daylight Saving Time. (And here is probably as good a place as any to mention that the town itself was named after Sandford Fleming, the Canadian inventor of 24 global times zones, cause in the first place of all this infernal clock bickering between the east and west sides of Saskatchewan.)

All this, and more, I learn across the street from the 113-year-old elevator, at the 115-year-old Windsor Hotel, where, if you have any notion to shoot breeze on coffee row, you had best bring your A game.

Fleming stakes claim to being the distant Saskatchewan village of the wheatfield horizon that was depicted on the back of the Canadian $1 bill from 1954 to 1974.

So do other communities, but only Fleming has printed its own postcard for proclamation and proof. If you look closely, they tell me, at the town on the dollar, very closely -- that's right -- and you wave out the front door of the Windsor, you can see yourself.

Folks in Fleming do have fun.

And good humour can be a valuable asset in the complicated, sometimes frustrating process of an elevator restoration, a learning process that began with an application to protect the elevator as a provincial heritage property.

Then came negotiations for acquiring the building from Agricore and the land from the CPR, both of which companies, says committee member Les Freeman, have been co-operative and generous.

Guided by the provincial heritage foundation and project manager Allan Sawchuk, a driving force behind the Inglis Elevators National Historic Site in Manitoba, the committee so far has cleaned the elevator of leftover fertilizer, which had caked in the pit and the bins, making for a nasty job, shored up the foundation and replaced on two sides the rusted, faded colors of the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool _ owners from 1959 until the 1990s _ with the replicated brown tin siding of Lake of the Woods.

To do a restoration properly, true to history, is no small order, says Freeman. Sending a sample of an old board, long sheltered from the elements, to Benjamin Moore is only one example, for paint analysis and a bang-on match to the original color of the tin siding. Finding screws with the same colored heads is another. "It seems like there's always something new, something we maybe hadn't anticipated." Two century-old grain wagons, donated by farmers, are stationed at the scales to give visitors a feel for horse- and ox-driven wheat delivery in 1885, and plans include the eventual return of the elevator's flour shed, now in a nearby farmer's yard, to be refurbished as a tourist welcome office and gift shop. The CPR has donated a vintage boxcar and negotiations are also underway with the railway for annexing the entire real estate of the abandoned siding. "You find you get lots of offers from people with vintage agricultural machinery they want to give us, so we could really use the land for a display," says Freeman.

So far the restoration has cost about $50,000 in materials and $40,000 in labour, leaving the project with a debt of $30,000 and $20,000 more in expected costs, which, as with the price of construction anywhere, are rising. To balance the books, to secure matching provincial grants, Fleming has taken on all every manners of fundraising, from selling lunch at farm auctions to raffling a side of beef. On June 14, Saskatchewan's own Elvis tribute artist, Rory Allen, will perform a benefit at the Moosomin Communiplex. An application to have the elevator named a national historic site, if approved, would help considerably with the long-term fiscal stability, perhaps luring corporate support.

"That's the critical part right now," says Hamm. "We need donations and we need donations from outside our area to get it done."

Eight years later, though, Canada's smallest town is finally in a position to see what it started. As twinning of the TransCanada Highway continues on the east of the province, it is no stretch of imagination now for the elevator to be the first stop in Saskatchewan of eastbound tourists, a welcome, a museum, a place of learning, a living monument to what this province was for so very much of its history, and what, in many hearts, it will always be.

"Every year we have people come in and take pictures," says Hamm.

"Some even paint pictures. And it's especially good to see the young people. Some people believe that young people don't value history or don't care about anything unless it's on a computer, but you'd be surprised at how many of them take a real interest in what we have here."

© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2008






Copyright © 2008 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest MediaWorks Publications, Inc.. All rights reserved.
CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest MediaWorks Publications, Inc.. All rights reserved.

Meacham, Saskatchewan

A village of about 90 residents has, or at least had, an elevator and an implement dealer. I had some fun turning this colorful photo into an "inverted" black and white, giving it a "new" look. Sometimes changing the color and look of a subject can make it more interesting and show things not noticed before. Since these elevators are considered part of our history, we often associate old with black and white photos. Does it work? I'm not sure.

History of prairie grain elevators

I came across this excellent summary and history of western Canadian grain elevators on the web (click on title) that's put out by "Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan". It also shows how elevators function and why they're being replaced by larger, much different-looking buildings. It's of interest, also, that the farmers organized themselves in the early 1900's to form their own co-operatives and take over from the control of the private companies that prevailed at the time.
My photo of the Hagen elevator on this blog is an example of a Pool(ed) elevator that was owned by the farmers for many years.

Celebrating snow in Kenaston

I've posted this photo previously (See November 2006) but I "messed" with it in Photoshop to dress it up a bit and as a way of helping Kenaston, Saskatchewan celebrate their long, snowy winters. It's not too many places that would choose a permanent snowman as their town symbol.

A new look at old buildings

There are times when I wish I could paint well, but so far I've been too lazy to try it seriously. But, I'm not afraid to try different special effects in Photoshop. Maybe it's because if I don't like it I can always delete it or redo parts without having to throw everything away. Lately I've been "painting" some of my elevator photos. Here's one.

Enjoy the holidays

At this time of year I wish all the very merriest of the Christmas season and a wonderful New Year!
May grain elevators brighten your path during the coming year.

Young Saskatchewan

I purposefully left the apostrophe out of the title to make a sentence out of the name of the place where this elevator photo was taken. It was near sunset and the sun was reflecting off the metal siding of the elevator closest to the camera. Again, using photoshop, I changed the original to cast a different light on the elevator, so to speak. Perhaps it makes the elevator look old rather than young. (Pun fully intended.)

Elevator "art"

Sometimes there is hidden beauty in things old. With Photoshop colours can be highlighted using various filters to make the ordinary look, well, not so ordinary. Here's my photo of Tessier that I've brightened up to show off its innate beauty.

More of barns

My brother-in-law and my sister live on a farm in Saskatchewan which still has the original wooden windmill. The windmill was used to draw water from a well to provide water for the livestock on the early farms in Saskatchewan. Not many wooden windmills are still standing, so this is a rare sight. Unfortunately, like the wooden grain elevators they are being taken down never to be seen again.
The one-horse buggy is also a rare sight these days. I'm old enough to remember going to school in a buggy. This buggy is a fancier one than we had as it has a cover to protect the occupants from the rain.
The hip-roofed barn was a common structure for the early settlers. Hay could be stored on the second floor and easily dropped down as needed for feed.
The mixed farm provided the farm families with enough food to live on, and they could sell milk and grain to make a living. Of course, in keeping with the theme of this blog, the grain would be hauled to the local elevator for grading and shipping.

Saskatchewan turned 100 in 2005

I realize that's old news, but after I gathered 100 Saskatchewan grain elevator photos I made up a "slideshow-movie" and put it on YouTube. Since Saskatchewan (and Alberta) just celebrated their centennial two years ago, I thought the number 100 was an appropriate way of representing that milestone in our "European" history of the Canadian west.
If you would like to see it go here.
The slides go by rather quickly but I wanted to give the impression of quantity and a sense of their fading glory. I dedicated the slideshow to the many farmers and elevator agents, along with their families, who work so tirelessly so that we can eat.

Round Barns

The hip-roofed barn is probably the most common sight on the prairies, but the round barns also were built. If you click on the title you'll be directed to a web site that has many photos of round barns in North America. I don't see the one that I'm showing here, so it must be rare. It's located west of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.
Farmers built barns to keep their livestock warm and dry, especially in winter. The hayloft (upper storey) was used to store the hay which could be lowered to the ground floor as needed during the long cold winter months.
I really don't know the advantage of round barns. Perhaps someone has researched the rationale for building round barns. All I know is they are more difficult to build and make a great photo.
Farmers grew crops not just to sell but also to feed and bed their livestock. The grain elevator was a common storage place for their "exported" grain and their barns were the storage places for the feed for their animals. Different architecture for different purposes--perhaps these also should be candidates for the wonders of North America.

Tessier, SK

Seeing the same grain elevators again allows for a different viewpoint. I hadn't noticed the older farm buildings the last time I took photos of this elevator. I believe that by including them in the photo of the elevator it adds to the character of the setting and creates a context that better reflects the aging of a prairie icon.

The Last Spike

The completion of the railway across Canada meant that the farmer's grain could be transported to the west coast and shipped overseas. This was a great boon to the prairie grain farmers, although the Crow's Nest pass was so expensive to build that the government levied a fee on all grain transported through the mountains.
Today there stands a special commemorative marker where the last spike was driven to mark the completion of the railroad. (Click on the heading for more details.)
It's a little known secret that the location of the last spike in Craigellachie, BC contains more than the marker and gift shop. For a privileged few, it's possible to go back in time and stand where Smith stood, grab the hammer and pound on the last spike, while at the same time, having your picture taken. We happened to time it right when we drove through there this month. For a fee, which I'm not allowed to divulge, I entered the time machine and was transported back to the very moment when Donald A. Smith was posing with the hammer over the last spike. For those of you who've gone back in time, you realize how important it is not to mess with the moment, or the future could turn out quite differently. So, with modern technology transferred to 1885, the moment was frozen and I was able to walk into the scene, replace Smith, grab the hammer and wait till the camera clicked. Then I was transported back to the Gift Shop. It all happened so quickly that I assume the people back then didn't know the better.
It's an experience I'll never forget. Luckily, a photo of me in Smith's place was transported back with me. I'm sharing it with you knowing I can trust you to keep this a secret.
Okay, I do have one confession to make. I didn't really hit the "last spike". I just pretended to. It makes for a better photo op.

Kinley, SK

One of my favourite scenes in Saskatchewan is the combination of telephone lines and grain elevators. This photo taken of the Kinley elevator depicts this view nicely.

Saskatoon-Floral

Did you know that the great hockey legend, Gordie Howe, was born in Floral, Saskatchewan? Floral used to be a hamlet just east of Saskatoon. As Saskatoon grew, Floral slowly disappeared. I'm surprised there's not a marker to show where Gordie Howe was born. It would make a great tourist draw, don't you think?
Now even the lone elevator that survived over the years has disappeared. Here's a photo of the elevator at Floral that stood until 2003.

Chaplin, SK

When I was taking photos of elevators I tried to find different situations to make the photos more interesting and contextual. Most of the time nothing was going on at or near the elevators. This past fall was during harvest season, so this photo in Chaplin, SK was of interest--trucks are lined up to unload their loads of grain.

Fleming, SK

The oldest standing elevator in Saskatchewan is in Fleming. It was built in the late 1800's. I manipulated the photo to make it antique grayscale in order to give it a look that, I think, better suits the age of the elevator.

Elevator Outlines

This photo of the elevators in Kinistino, SK has been altered, via Photoshop, to pick out the outlines of the elevators. By concentrating on the shapes, one's impression of the elevators takes on a different meaning. There are fewer distractions and the inherent beauty of the design of the buildings is emphasized and celebrated. It's more like a sketch and leaves the eye to fill in the details, allowing room for imagination.

Broderick, Sask

We took this photo of the Broderick elevator in 2001 in late summer. The colours are often muted at midday, so I purposefully over-saturated this photo to highlight the beautiful colours in the photo. This elevator is reflected in a small "dugout". Dugouts are common in Saskatchewan. Holes are dug out in the ground in order to trap rain water and any Spring run-off to collect water for cattle and irrigation.

Kinistino

Only three elevators remained in Kinistino when we took photos of the elevator there in 2003. Originally there were at least five or six. That's typical of small centres. The elevators have been taken down one by one, until none or maybe one remains. The cement behemoths called inland grain terminals are taking their place but are spaced much further apart, requiring large trucks to transport the farmer's grain.

Prairie Grain Elevator Sites

I just came across another resource for people to go to to see more photos and information re prairie grain elevators. Click on the heading and enjoy the trip.

Historical Society honours country grain elevators

The Country Grain Elevator Historical Society has a website you might want to check out. It's great to see so much interest in elevators. My guess is that they've touched the lives of more people than we realize. (Just click on the title to go 'traveling'.)

Sky high

Elevators are about 80 feet high. Getting to the top requires ladders and lifts. This ladder on the outside of an elevator in Carrot River, Saskatchewan, provides an interesting perspective on how tall these elevators really are. Enjoy the climb!

Alberta's next to Saskatchewan

Okay, the title states the obvious, but to the residents of Saskatchewan the province of Alberta is like a rich cousin that lives next door who keeps promising a better life if you only move in with him/her. Just check the license plates on the cars in Saskatoon or Regina during any holidays and you'll see a lot of them saying, "Rose Country", instead of "Land of Living Skies". These are the children or siblings of Saskatchewan residents who have joined the "madding crowd" in resource-rich Alberta.
I'm going to break the trend and include a photo of combines in Alberta. It was taken near Pincher Creek, Alberta. Comments?

Grain Elevator Museum

Probably due to the costs, Hepburn has the only town elevator museum in the province of Saskatchewan. That's unfortunate as there's a lot of history that will be lost over the years. There's a nice write-up on their web page that I've linked to the heading.

This is my 100th blog. I'm running out of photos and ideas as to how to keep the topic of Saskatchewan elevators front and centre. I'm going to take a break for a while and allow my faithful readers a chance to catch up on all one hundred blogs and links. If you have any comments or suggestions for further blogs on this topic, please let me know.
Stay tuned! And, take care.

Sunset in Allan

The sunset always makes for interesting light. This photo of Allan, Saskatchewan is an example. There's a big sky on the prairies and the sunrises and sunsets last a long time leaving the opportunity to take in the sights and colours of the slowly-changing sunlight.

The other towers on the prairies

Windmills used to be common on the prairies. They used wind power to bring water from the wells to the surface in order to water the livestock or to supply water for the farms. Many are still standing but most are down by now. Here's a photo of one in Saskatchewan that looks like it served the farm back when. It still has the wooden slats that caught the wind. Because they were made of wood they were not able to withstand the weather as well as the metal ones that came along later. So, that makes this one rather rare.

A long winter

In Saskatchewan leaves are on trees only 5 months of the year. That means that the norm on the prairies is bare-branched trees. That makes for a stark, rather colourless environment. What the snow does is brighten up the nights and the days as the snow acts as a reflector of any available light. That helps make up for the long, dreary season. Grain elevators act as a guide in the relatively flat landscape and add some structure to the empty nothingness that seems to be prevalent. One has to look at details and marvel at the colours and textures that somehow survive such a cold climate.
Here's another "cold" elevator to warm your heart.

Winter on the prairies

It's often a difficult time during winter on the prairies. The upside is that farmers can take a break from the working of the soil and go curling or on vacation, if they don't have cattle to feed or milk. Often the elevators open to take grain in the winter months, allowing the farmers to sell some of their stored grain.
But, it's very cold during winter on the prairies. "At least it's a dry cold", say prairie-dwellers. So, my question is: Do you prefer to be freeze-dried?

Ever Swam in a Wheat Pool?

There's got to be some humour out there about grain elevators and farming, etc. I came across this humorous story of a family in Alberta that has their own wheat pool to swim in. It's right next to a grain elevator so that they can enjoy being washed over by the wheat. It's a fun read. I've linked it to the heading and I've included the photo from their web page to show the pool.

Story of our elevators

The Canadian Encylopedia does a nice job of providing an overview of Canadian elevators, looking at the history, the architecture of elevators and the present situation. It's a great addition to information that's available on the 'net. (Click on title to see for yourself.)

Fleming, SK

The elevator that still stands in Fleming, SK (Fleming is located near the Manitoba border east of Moosomin. See map.) was built in 1895, according to the information that I've found. That means it's been standing during three centuries in time. Perhaps it should be made into an historical site for people from all over to appreciate. Hopefully, the community will see fit to keep it.

Anatomy of the grain elevator

I came across a light-hearted, yet detailed description of the insides of a prairie grain elevator and how it works. The link will appear when you click on the title of this blog. I totally agree with the statement that the new "inland prairie terminals" just aren't photogenic. The author also wonders what symbol will replace the elevator once there'll all gone. He suggests the bald eagle, which is already taken by our neighbour to the south. I would suggest the gopher be given serious consideration. ("Richardson Ground Squirrel".) Here's the scoop on this cute little rascal: http://people.uleth.ca/~michener/main.htm
Other ideas?

University of Saskatchewan archives

The U of S has an archive of 184 elevator photos dating back to 1979. Most seem to have been taken in the 1980's. There's even one of Wolseley taken in 1902. I've added it here for everyone to see. At the end of the file is a Special Section showing the construction of one elevator and the demolition of another. This link (Click on title of this blog) gives enough information to satisfy anyone looking for information about their hometown elevator that may be lost by now. It's exciting to see websites like this that are helping to preserve the history of the prairie grain elevators.

King Wheat

As the web site I've linked to the heading states, wheat was king in Saskatchewan for many years. The hockey team in my home town was called "Wheat Kings" to recognize the size and importance of wheat to the local grain farmers.
Wheat is no longer the primary grain crop on the prairies but it still is one of the main grains that supplies the world with flour for breads and pastries.
Maybe wheat is still the king of grains!
I've uploaded the photo of a wheat field I posted earlier, but I thought it was a good time to include it to help the reader to visualize the size and breadth (no pun intended) of wheat fields.

Decline of grain elevators

I came across a site that lists of the number of Primary Grain Elevators on the prairies over the years. (Click on title if you'd like to read it all.) In 1933, there were 3,047 elevators in Saskatchewan. By 1986 there were only 994; by 1996, 656 and in 2006 there were only 179 licensed grain elevators left in Saskatchewan. That means there are only about 6% of these elevators left to see and enjoy. Amazing!

85

This is my 85th consecutive daily posting. I'm running out of photos, so I will be scanning and collecting some more elevator-related photos over the next few days. In the meantime enjoy looking at elevator photos by going to the links on this page. I have 118 elevator photos on "My Elevator Photo Albums" link, plus I have 115 on the Prairie Elevators site.
And, or let me know if you would like to see something in particular related to Saskatchewan elevators. I might just have it.

Vancouver-Saskatoon connection

A few years ago I was glancing at my photos of our walk through Stanley Park and noticed the shape of Siwash rock. (Click on title for more info.) It reminded me of the shape of the grain elevators in Saskatchewan. So, with the help of Photoshop I overlaid the Saskatoon C (Sea?) elevator on the Rock. I know that there's at least a 20 foot difference in actual height--the grain elevator being 80 feet high and Siwash rock almost 60. But it seemed to make for an interesting comparison, however far-fetched it may seem to the viewer.
That's the fun of playing with photos--imagining what else could be. Painters can include/exclude what they like in their final product. Why not photographers?

Young again

One would think that this village was named after the eternal quest for youth. It turns out it was named after a land agent. (Click on title for the link.) Aside from the interesting name the elevator itself seemed to be well looked after and made for some great late day shots as the sun cast its longer shadows. I recall someone telling me that this elevator no longer stands. Can anyone confirm that? Perhaps just the older one in the background was destroyed?

One of my favourites

This photo of the elevator in Leney, SK is one of my favourites. Why? Because it typifies rural Saskatchewan at harvest. Ripened wheat growing near the grain elevators that will store the grain once harvested. The wide open prairies surrounding the elevator. What is missing is a village. The abandoning of villages is also typical, unfortunately. The urbanization of the world is happening on the prairies, as well. The small farm is a thing of the past. As they disappear so do the many grain elevators that used to dot the landscape. It's almost as if part of our inner being is getting lost in the process. Will the replacement, i.e., large farms and urban living, be okay? Only time will tell.

Elevator Reflections

These elevators in Richlea, SK are reflected in the water standing beside the road nearby. The wide open spaces with people few and far between make for a different lifestyle. To use a pun, being alone and so far away from others leaves much time for reflection.

Red River carts

Before grain elevators became necessary farmers and their families had to settle the prairies. They came via the wooden carts that were often named, "Red River" carts, because they followed the Red River through Manitoba and into Saskatchewan and Alberta. They followed the same trail making for a rutted road, much like inverted railway tracks. At least that's the way I remember the history of early settlers and explorers arriving in the prairies. The Northwest Mounted Police didn't arrive until the Metis Rebellion in 1885. History is always written after the fact and with facts as remembered by the writers (much like I'm doing in this blog). I've added a link to one account of the Metis Rebellion in Batoche, Saskatchewan where Louis Riel made his "last stand". (To go to it click on the title of this blog.)
This photo is of the wheel of a Red River cart on display at the Batoche Historical Site.

Swaths as art?

The straight lines of these canola swaths on the side of a sloping field make for an interesting photo. Looking at these swaths as art allows the viewer to see more than just swaths waiting to be combined. Do you agree?

A Guessing Game

Now that the New Year is here, grain farmers begin to tally last year's earnings and take stock of their machinery. One of the major items to consider is the combine. Sometimes it's more economical to sell the old one and get a good used one or even buy a new one. While taking pictures of elevators it was interesting to see the harvest equipment lined up near the elevators--perhaps enticing the farmers to consider spending some money? For the photographer, placing a combine in the picture with an elevator connects the two quite nicely. This photo was taken in Bladworth in August 2001.

Crooked River, SK

While sorting out some old slides I came across a picture I'd taken in 1968 of the village of Crooked River. The elevator on the photo is no longer standing today so it was a nice find. The scene is a typical one of north central Saskatchewan with the rolling plains and green terrain. I worked in this area at the time and always admired this scenic spot every time I drove by it.

A Sign of Hope

Farmers operate on a hope and a prayer. They hope for good weather and pray for a good harvest. The rainbow is seen as a sign of hope. When we saw this rainbow over the canola field I quickly pulled over to take a picture.

Hip-roofed barn

While the wooden grain elevators are icons on the prairies, there are other structures that could also qualify. The windmills and the hip-roofed barns are two others that come to mind. These, too, are disappearing from the landscape as they deteriorate and crumble. For those of us old enough to remember the many farms with these items it's also sad to see them going away. From time to time I'll include photos of these barns and windmills. There's a definite connection with them and grain elevators as the barns housed the animals and stored hay and straw from the fields that grew the grain that was hauled to the elevators. The windmills provided power to the pumps in the wells to water the livestock. Maybe the title of my blog be changed to, "Icons on the Prairies"?

Finally-From the bins to the grain elevator

Farmers are given quotas as to how much grain they can sell. When the quotas are open to do so the farmer must somehow transport the grain to the elevators. Many hire large trucks to move the grain as the smaller farm trucks just aren't big enough to make the long trip that may be necessary worthwhile. Now that the grain elevators are far and few between this is often true. I took this photo of a line-up of grain trucks at a wooden grain elevator this past September (2006).

V-Back to the combine

As evening approaches and the sun goes down in the West, the combine keeps on going until it's too damp to continue or the field is done. In this photo the grain is very dry and the wind is not blowing, leaving a long trail of dust. When I was on the combine back in the '60's we didn't have a cab. Going with wind was very uncomfortable as the dust made it difficult to breathe. The dust was also very itchy. So, enjoy the photograph without having to experience the dust and the itch.

IV- From auger to bin

The wheat is transported into the grain bins with augers such as this one. The sun was getting low when I took this photo, so the sun's casting a strong light on the top part of the picture. It may be symbolic of a "bright future" for the harvest.

III-From the truck to the bins

Once the truck is filled with wheat the trucker drives the load to the farmyard where the grain bins are and backs up to the grain auger to unload the grain. Here's a photo of where the wheat and the auger meet.