Grain Elevators of the Canadian Prairies
September 23rd 2008 03:10
The three Canadian prairie provinces, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, grow a lot of grain. In the days of local train services, spur rail lines serviced even the small communities, and farmers could take their grain to the local elevator.
We still grow lots of wheat, still ship it by train, but now the process is more centralized and the train service more limited.
These grand old ladies of the prairies are falling down, disappearing from the prairie landscape.
It's hard to explain, perhaps, but if you grew up in a small place, the grain elevator proved your particular small place was "somewhere". The town name was on the elevator, and in a land flat and wide, the elevator could be seen from forever.
This image from rabesphoto on Flickr.com shows a large elevator complex. They aren't all quite so big, but they typically are tall like this one.
The smallest building in front gives an idea of the scale.
We still grow lots of wheat, still ship it by train, but now the process is more centralized and the train service more limited.
These grand old ladies of the prairies are falling down, disappearing from the prairie landscape.
It's hard to explain, perhaps, but if you grew up in a small place, the grain elevator proved your particular small place was "somewhere". The town name was on the elevator, and in a land flat and wide, the elevator could be seen from forever.
This image from rabesphoto on Flickr.com shows a large elevator complex. They aren't all quite so big, but they typically are tall like this one.
The smallest building in front gives an idea of the scale.
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