Vanishing Sentinels Book on CD

Well... I think I am in the final stretch. I have completed the CD version of the book, and am now working on spiltting that file into two sections, one each for Southern and Northern Alberta / BC elevators. It's proving to be a lot of work, but I think it would help me to at least get the books published... since they would be smaller in size than the total 320 pages.

I will let everyone know on my list on the website and this blog when it is ready to go!

Cheers!

Jim!

Agricore United -Sask Pool Deal?

Every once in a while, I get updates from Google on news about Agricore United and it's possible takeover by Saskatchewan Wheat Pool or by JRI (James Richardson International) Pioneer.

Well... it seems it may be over. Sask Pool looks like they won... the question is will this deal go thru, and what will the changes to the Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba grain producers be?

I have a terrible feeling that by the time my CD on my Vanishing Sentinels project is out, the book will have to have major changes to it.

Lovely.

Found yet another elevator

On a tip I got from Johnnie Bachusky, I went out yesterday to confirm an elevator east of Blackfalds on Twonship Road 40-0, about 7 km east of Highway 2A. It had the name "Highview Farms" on it, and after making a few phone calls, I found out that this elevator came from Mintlaw... a now vanishing community SW of Red Deer, which used to be on the Alberta Central Railway, which ran from Red Deer to Rocky Mountain House. This elevator was a Searle, and was moved in the late 1950's. The elevator's annex was possibly from the Searle elevator (possibly a former Saskatchewan Grain Co. Ltd. elevator) from Prentiss, which is NW of Joffre.

This would make the grand total of Searle elevators remaining in Alberta up to at least 6. I will have more updates on this elevator as soon as I can find out more.

2000 Hits!!!

Just wanted to thank everyone who checks out my main website at http://web.mac.com/difdbs/iWeb/Vanishing%20Sentinels/Home.html. Today, it passed the 2000 hits!!!

Very glad to see that there are people interested in this project! Thanks you all for your interest!

Was just looking at blog...

I was just looking at the blog, and was amazed to see that back on Febrauary 14th, I only had 1099 hits. As of today... I am presently at 1952... nealy 900 hits in 3 months. WOW!

I am also in the final stages of getting the book ready to be printed on CD. I decided to do it this way, since the price of publishing is too high for me at the moment, so I think putting it out on CD is a good start.

I will let everyone know here and on the website when the CD will be available for purchase.

Cheers!

Jim A Pearson
Vanihsing Sentinels

1099 Hits On The Website

I just wanted to say that I now have 1,099 hits on my main site of Vanishing Sentinels. I had no idea that I would have that many in the 4 and an half months since I got this webpage setup!

Thanks to everyone who has visited the site, and I hope more arrive to see it!

Thank you!

Jim A Pearson
Vanishing Sentinels

Quick note in an article in Westworld

I just found out that an article in the Alberta Motos Association's magzine "Westworld" had a quick mention of the Vanishing Sentinels project in their February 2007 issue.

I had submitted a photo of a grain elevator for a contest they were holding, and gave them the address of this blog. A fellow from Edmonton, Alberta mentioned it to me, and I got the article yesterday. To put it mildy, I was very surprised and happy to see it!

It's nice to see that there is a rising interest in grain elevators across Alberta.

For more information on the project, please check out my webpage at:
http://web.mac.com/difdbs/iWeb/Vanishing%20Sentinels/Home.html

I am going to be adding some additions to it soon, primarily drawings of how an early elevator operated.

I am also going to be doing a speech up in Edmonton on March 20th. Details to follow as I get them!

All Quiet on the Western Front

I haven't been adding anything new on this site since I got the main website up, but I have started on a database for the Saskatchewan elevators. Using info from the net and wikipedia, I have disocvered quite a bit of info on the elevators in Sask., and have discovered this make take longer than I thought.

I am planning on going up to Saskatoon sometime in May to start going thru the archives to see what information I can find.

Also, I will be doing a speech in Edmonton on March 20 for the Scandanavian club on my project. From the sounds of it... it should have a fair sized crowd, so I have been doing some updates to my Keynote speech... I switched to Keynote from Powerpoint because it runs better on my laptop.

Further updates as I get them!

News Article From Millet, Alberta

Here is an article on myself and my project from Millet, Alberta!

The Vanishing Sentinels Website Is Up and Running!

Just want to let everyone know that the new Vanishing Sentinels website is up... at least part of it is!

http://web.mac.com/difdbs/iWeb/Vanishing%20Sentinels/Home.html

Cheers!

New updates from last trip down south

Here are the latest updates on some elevators I found down SE of Lethbridge

Annex SE of Nemiscam




This privately owned annex is 14 km E of Foremost on Highway 61, 1 km S on Rge Rd 10-2 (Hoping Rd). However, I haven't been able to find out where this annex is from, although some think it may have come from Legend. If anyone knows, please email me!

Annex From Milk River


This privately owned annex is located E of Highway 4 On Rge Rd. 3-2. The color says it may have been from a UGG elevator.

Ted and Norma Bratner Elevator


This privately built elevator was built in 1938, and is 6 km S of Wrentham on Rge Rd. 17-1, or 2 km E of Highway 36 on Twp Rd. 6-2.

Dick Myer's Elevator



This elevator was built by Dick Meyers in 1964 as an easier way to feed his cows, but abandoned it in 1975. The equipment used for grinding grain are still inside. The elevator had 7 internal bins, and had two additional steel bins outside which could transfer grain into the elevator pit via a chain conveyor.


Looking up past the leg to the top of the structure


This wheel allowed the operator to select which bin to put the grain into.


This is the grain grinder and gas motor which drove it.

The elevator is located 1 km S of Sec. 531 and Sec. 842 West of Lomond.

Equity, Alberta (The actual hamlet)

Equity, Alberta is located between Three Hills and Trochu on the CN rail line which runs from Camrose to Calgary. This hamlet originally had 3 elevators:

Western Canadian Flour Mills
National
Alberta Pacific
The elevators were closed sometime in the 1970's, but as you can see from the photo, the siding is still there.

Agricore United has an steel elevator complex named after Equity, which is located about 4 miles south of the hamlet west of Highway 21.

Three Hills, Alberta UPDATE

For 4 years, I was uncertain of the status of the Three Hills Agricore elevator, so I was classifying it as unknown. Yesterday, I found out the elevator was open, so I dropped by to get some info on it. I found out that it was bought in 2002, and is still in use today.
I am glad to see at least one more elevator is still in operation in Alberta, even if it is privately owned! :)

Trochu New Pictures

Trochu UGG (Closed 2002, privately owned)


Trochu Agricore (Closed 2002, privately owned)

I was coming through Trochu, and decided to get some new pics of the UGG and Agricore elevators elevators there! Enjoy!

Netook, Alberta

Netook looking south


Netook looking north



Netook is a rail siding located about 6 miles north of Olds, Alberta on Highway 2A. I have been trying to find information on the elevators here, but so far no success. If anyone knows anything about the elevators in this area, please email me at ncc2920@telusplant.net! Thanks!

Minaret, Alberta

Minaret was a rail siding located north of Olds, Alberta, and had an Alberta Pacific grain elevator, which was closed in 1956. (Many thanks to Elmer Speerman, who arrived there from Chinook, Alberta, via CP Rail from the Coronation area in 1938.)
I tried to find it, but seem to keep missing it, although Elmer's son said it still may be there! If anyone can find it, please let me know at ncc2920@telusplanet.com.

Update From NW and NE Trip August 14-17, 2006

Here are the final (I hope) updates on elevators in Alberta... this trip covered an area from Delia to Ft. St. John, B.C. to Two Hills and Lougheed in the NE of Alberta. This trip took about a total of 30 hours driving time, and about 2000 kilometers traveled!

Camrose, Alberta #3 Elevator Has Been Demolished


Here is the Camrose #3 Agricore-United elevator as it was in 2004.


Here is the site as of August 14, 2006. The elevator was demolished this spring (2006)


Bittern Lake, Alberta


This elevator was originally an an Alberta Wheat Pool, and was moved to it's present location between 1986 and 1991. It is now located about 3 miles west and 1 mile North of Bittern Lake.

Rasmuson Farm

]Originally privately built in the 1930's, and is located 10.3 kilometers north of Gwynne on Sec. 822 (1 km north of Twp 47-4 on RR 23-0.

Justamere Farms


This elevator is owned by Justamere Farms (Ballhorn Family), and is located west of Gwynne on Highway 13 and Range Road 23-4.

Kavanagh, Alberta


This UGG elevator was moved in 1978 from it's original location in Kavanagh, which is about 4 miles south of Leduc on Highway 2A. It is now located on Highway 39 West of Leduc, and slightly north on Range Road 25-4

NE of Nisku, Alberta


This elevator was privately built back in 1939, and is located 2 miles east of Nisku then 2 miles north (Township Road 51-0, Range Road 24-4)

Edmonton


This Agricore-United Facility was originally built in 1947, and had a second elevator added to it in 1957. This complex was taken over by UGG in 1967, and then by Agricore-United in 2001. It is located at 7410 - 120 Ave in Edmonton.

Duagh, Alberta


The Alberta Oats Facility was built in 1995-1996, and is located north of Highway 37 and on Range Road 23-5 (The access road is just west of the rail line)

East of Namao, Alberta



These two elevators were built between 1940 and 1952, and were both privately built. Both are located just east of Namao.

Nampa, Alberta


This elevator was used by Alberta Wheat Pool for fertilizer storage.


This steel facility is built by Great Northern Grain Terminals Ltd. This facility was opened about 25 years ago (1981)

Grimshaw, Alberta


Grimshaw originally had 7 elevators, and has only two now. The older Alberta Wheat Pool is now used for storing fertilizer.


This Agricore Elevator is now abandoned.

Hines Creek, Alberta




Hines Creek, located at the end of the steel NW of Fairview, has two elevators, which are both privately owned. One originally was an Alberta Wheat Pool, but was taken over by UGG, while the other is a UGG.

Berwyn, Alberta


This annex was originally located in Berwyn (about 5 miles SW of Rycroft), and is now located on Secondary Road 685, and is east of Range Road 25-1 (the road turns north for 2 miles). No information was available when it was moved.

Rycroft, Alberta


The Cargill (located 1 mile east of Rycorft on Highway 49) was built in 1998-1999. The three elevators in town were taken over by the Peace River Seed Co-op.


The Louis Dreyfus was originally built in 1998 by UGG, and taken over in 2002.


Agricore Built in 1998, taken over in 2001 by Agricore-United.



These three elevators are owned by the Peace River Seed Co-op (As of 2002).

Dawson Creek, B.C.


The concrete Pioneer Built in Early 1980's taken over by Louis Dreyfus May 1, 2006.

Louis Dreyfus Facility opened in November, 2001


This Agricore-United elevator is on the NW side of town, and is still in operation.

Ft. St. John, B.C.
Fort St. John originally had 5 elevators, but now has 2 Agricore United and 1 Cargill Concrete.


This elevator is owned by Agricore-United, and was built in 1957.


This one was built in 1967.


The Cargill Concrete was built between 1985-1986.

Warwick, Alberta


This elevator was closed in the late 1970's and is now located 1/2 east of Warwick.

Vegreville, Alberta


The Buffalo Bin which was built in 1981, was closed in 2001 but is still leased out by Agricore-United. Vegreville still has a Cargill concrete elevator, and and Agricore United elevator on the east side of Vegreville was converted to a pea plant in 2000.

Farion Farms


Poe Elevator (Located On Farion Farms) South of Twp Rd 52-2 on Range Rd. 16-1 (East Side of Road)), Moved In 1984


Vegreville AWP (Located On Farion Farms) South of Twp Rd 52-2 on Range Rd. 16-1 (West Side of Road), Moved In 1985


Inland AWP (Located On Farion Farms) Township Road 52-2, and Just South on Range Road 15-4, Moved In 1982

Bergseth Farm


This elevator was originally an Alberta Farmer's Co-operative, then a UGG. It was moved from Sedgewick between 1986-1991. It is located on Township Road 44-4 1/2 mile west of Secondary road 870 north of Lougheed.

Lougheed, Alberta


The Iron Creek Museum is a Pioneer elevator built in 1937, and closed in 2001. The elevator was repainted in Pioneer's original colors, which were white and yellow.

Killam, Alberta



Killiam's two UGG elevator were bought by Great Northern Grains in 2003.

Green Acres Farm Elevator


This elevator was torn down in Forestburg in 1973, and was rebuilt on it's present site. The elevator was originally built between 1914 and 1916 as an Alberta Pacific, which became a Federal (1967) and AWP (1972). This elevator also had a tilting platform in the weigh scale platform for unloading wagons. It is located SW of Forestburg on Secondary 855... about 3 miles south of Highway 53.

Gartly, Alberta


This annex is located south of Gartly on Range Road 19-2, South of Township Road 30-2. It is either from the Searle or Alberta Wheat Pool elevator, and was moved in the 1970's