What Is A Grain Elevator? - a photo on Flickriver

Just recently I was showing my images of grain elevators to someone. Sadly, that individual did not know what a grain elevator is. I proceeded to provide a quick explanation and explained to that person the difference between the older, original wooden grain elevator, and the modern concrete silos.

Then I began to think, this person is one of many Canadians who aren’t even aware of the existence of these pieces of our history, heritage, and western culture.

And here I, and many others across the country, are driving around, taking photos of them, posting them to social media, websites etc., and only a select few Canadians actually know what a grain elevator is. And my guess is that a good majority of those people are from rural areas, who grew up in Small Town Wherever, Alberta, or maybe on a farm, way out in the middle of nowhere. They know because they grew up around a grain elevator in some way, but do city folks know what a grain elevator is? And for that matter, what its purpose is? How does a grain elevator work you might be asked? Plenty of questions.

So, I thought maybe I’d try to enlighten those who would like to know what a grain elevator is, and why I, like many others, take photographs of them.

Grain elevators, which have been variously referred to as prairie icons, prairie cathedrals or prairie sentinels, are a visual symbol of western Canada. Numbering as many as 5,758 in 1933, elevators have dominated the prairie landscape for more than a century with every hamlet, village and town boasting its row of them, a declaration of a community's economic viability and a region's agricultural strength. The story continues here at the Canadian Encyclopedia article on Grain Elevators.
www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/grain-elevators

Why do I take photographs of Grain Elevators? Well, I grew up on the Canadian Prairies in southwestern Manitoba, and grain elevators were part of the landscape. They towered over the small towns and acted like a lighthouse, or beacon to the locals, providing them a focal point on where their home was. It was also a social gathering point for the farmers and townsfolk, a place to share a cup of coffee, catch up on some gossip, or maybe play a game or two of Cribbage.

Today, there are barely 700 plus left all across the prairie provinces. I hope to document those that remain for future generations to see long after they are gone.

Canada's Historic Places - Saskatchewan Wheat Pool Elevator - Horizon

Taken on: August 24, 2021

Tags:

Prairie Icon

ex-Parrish & Heimbecker

AWP

Alberta Pacific Grain

Federal Grain Limited

British Columbia

ex-Agricore

Manitoba

Rural

ex-Saskatchewan Wheat Pool

Agricore

ex-Alberta Wheat Pool

Alberta

Saskatchewan

ex-Pioneer Grain Company Limited

Alberta Wheat Pool

Agricore United

Loxstave Annex

Denoise

Landmark

Prairie Cathedral

The Bear Den Photography

Saskatchewan Wheat Pool

Enhanced

Lake of the Woods Milling Company

National Grain Elevators

Grain Elevator

National Grain Limited

Horizon

Pioneer

Prairie Titans

Vanishing Sentinel

United Grain Growers

ex-Federal Grain Co.

Prairie Beacon

Prairie Skyscraper

Parrish & Heimbecker

Sask Pool

Paterson Grain

Federal Grain Co.

Paterson

P&H

Prairie Sentinel

ex-Paterson

Prairie Lighthouse

ex-National Grain Elevators

ex-Lake of the Woods Milling Company

NATIONAL

Privately Constructed

Wooden Grain Elevator

Pioneer Grain Company limited

Rural Canada

ex-Alberta Pacific Grain

The Bear Den

Prairie Giant

Canada

Prairie Castle

ex-Agricore United

UGG

Alberta Pacific Grain Co

Building

Architecture « less

Sets appears in: • Alberta Wheat Pool • Alberta - "Wildrose Country" more » • British Columbia - "Beautiful British Columbia" • Federal Grain • Grain Elevators of Alberta • Grain Elevators of Manitoba • Grain Elevators of Western Canada • Manitoba - "Friendly Manitoba" • National Grain Elevators • Parrish & Heimbecker • Paterson • Pioneer Grain Company Limited • Privately Constructed Elevators • Saskatchewan - "Land of Living Skies" • Saskatchewan Wheat Pool • United Grain Growers « less

Groups appears in: • FlickrCentral • Abandoned more » • Grain Elevators • Flickr Canada • Canadian Prairie Grain Elevators • I Love Grain Elevators. • Prairie Landscapes • Grain Elevators: Inside & Out • Abandoned Canada • Pentax K-1 Mark II • Pentax K-1 Mk II « less

Camera: RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD. PENTAX K-1 Mark II, f/9.0, 1/1000 sec, 28mm (=35mm), ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD. PENTAX K-1 Mark II
Lens:	HD PENTAX-D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6ED DC WR
Aperture:	f/9.0
Exposure Time:	0.001 sec (1/1000)
Focal Length:	28mm (35mm equivalent: 35mm)
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	-1 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Manual
Exposure Mode:	Manual
Metering Mode:	Spot
White Balance:	Auto
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic 13.1 (Windows)
Show full info

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