P.B. Thompson would probably not be pleased.
On July 1, 1925, the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool delegate delivered the first load of grain at the grand opening of the first elevator ever built by the farmer-owned co-operative – 57 bushels of No. 2 wheat worth $1.15 a bu.
A little more than 76 years later, on Sept. 22, 2001, the pool’s ties to its symbolic birthplace came to an end, as a work crew painted out the word Pool on the side of the old wooden elevator.
And the new owner of what was known as Saskatchewan Wheat Pool No. 1 says he can’t guarantee the future of the historic structure.
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“I’m hoping maybe somebody will be interested in it, cause I’d really hate like heck to knock it over,” said Ron Hanmer, a farmer from nearby Govan, Sask. “It’s a piece of history.”
The Bulyea elevator was sold this fall as part of the pool’s program to rid itself of 180 elevators.
The words Saskatchewan and No. 1 remain on the building, but the word Pool had to be removed as a condition of sale.
Hanmer, who already owns an old pool elevator at Govan, decided to buy the three buildings for sale at Bulyea – a 2,660 tonne elevator in good condition, the No.1 elevator and an annex.
Buying the main elevator was an easy business decision, he said, as he was able to acquire nearly 100,000 bushels of hopper-bottom storage for less than $50,000.
The No.1 came along as part of the package, and now Hanmer has to figure out what to do with it.
“I have zero plans for it,” he said. “It’s not going to fall over, but in the next 10 years or so someone is going to have to address the situation.”
Officials involved with the preservation of Saskatchewan heritage say it would be disastrous if the elevator was torn down.
“It has significant historical value,” said Michael Phelps, executive director of the Saskatchewan Architectural Heritage Society. “It’s not just a grain elevator. It stands for everything the pool has stood for over time.”
He added he’s “appalled” that the pool hasn’t taken steps to ensure the building is preserved as a heritage site.
Pool officials could not be reached for comment.
For a heritage building to be protected, it must be designated by either a local municipality or the provincial government.
The designation must have the full support of the owner, who must maintain and operate the building. The building must meet certain criteria involving historical or architectural significance and future physical and economic viability.
Once it’s designated, it can’t be altered without the permission of the designated authority. It also becomes eligible for a limited amount of funding from the provincial Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation, which will match private donations.
Peggy Brunsdon, manager of the provincial government’s heritage unit, said she intends to speak to Hanmer about the old Pool No. 1 to tell him about the process.
“I’d like to see what his plans are and how serious he is about designation and if he’s totally aware of the effects,” she said.
