RED DEER – Every time another wooden grain elevator falls, small-town
Alberta wonders if anybody hears.
Fire, rail line abandonment and grain company consolidation have
contributed to the loss of these prairie icons. A newly formed
nonprofit society hopes to preserve some of these facilities before
they are bulldozed into history.
“It is the identity of a community,” said Hans Huizinga, a member of
the steering committee for the Alberta Grain Elevators Society.
The society does not plan to save specific elevators but provide
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information, support and fund-raising advice.
“It has to be community based. As an organization we’re just starting
and we’re hoping to find ways to provide funding,” he said before the
inaugural meeting of the society.
About 50 people came to Red Deer hoping to learn what is needed to save
an elevator, as well as share experiences in their communities.
Less than a dozen wooden structures have been spared. They have been
converted into museums, interpretative centres, art galleries and
restaurants said Huizinga, a historian from St. Albert.
Alberta has less than 200 wooden structures left.
Saving an elevator is not an easy task once notice of closure is served
on a community. It is costly and involves a major commitment from a
community. People must face off against major grain companies that
prefer to demolish the facilities rather than deal with further
expenses or liability issues if the building is not structurally sound.
That was the experience of Paradise Valley, Alta., where a handful of
people were determined to preserve the elevator.
It has become a “climb through time” museum that celebrates western
life. More than 3,000 visitors a year visit the community south of
Lloydminster.
“It takes a lot of leadership to get these things off the ground,” said
Bill Dobson, who was involved in the project from the beginning.
His first advice is to ensure the community has a serious commitment to
the project and a sense of how to raise money to repair an old, large
building.
“These are big buildings and require a lot of work to get the job done,
no matter what you are going to do,” he said.
“You have to have a plan to make that building viable. It’s not like
saving the local United Church.”
The Paradise Valley elevator was abandoned in 1988 and was scheduled
for demolition along with all the elevators on the branch line.
The elevator was acquired for a tax donation from Alberta Wheat Pool
and Marathon Reality, which represented Canadian Pacific Railways,
donated the land. The building had been well maintained so less repair
work was required.
It was declared a heritage site so future generations cannot remove it.
To receive such designation, the building cannot be moved.
Work began in earnest in 1993 and the costs began to mount. The final
bill was close to $200,000 for a project that left some residents
dubious.
Cleaning, refurbishing the inside and repairing the annex cost $85,000
alone. Additional building materials added another $71,000 to the bill.
Fundraising, grants and personal donations made it possible for the
museum to open in June 1995.
Dobson said communities must find something unique and innovative to
make the project worthwhile. The community does not have to turn it
into a tourist attraction. It could take on a new life as a commercial
business like a feed mill.
“Everyone wants to see the elevator on the skyline in some way that it
is going to viable in the future.”
