Grain Elevators
 We also visited grain elevators at Leduc, Calmar and Thorsby. When you live in the city, the elevators are not something you become familiar with. Grain elevators are more interesting than you would think. The inner works of the elevators are intriguing. The use of levers to open and close the grain bins reminded me of the pedals of an organ. For some reason, I thought the method of transferring would be more high tech. The grain bins seemed fairly small but it was very clear that the elevator could hold an incredible amount of grain.
- Jessica B., Student
Grain elevators are a very important part of Alberta's history. When you think of Alberta, one of the main images is that of grain elevators. Many cities, towns and villages were known and noticed by their grain elevators and depending on how many elevators there were, it showed how big and how prosperous the community was. One the elevator was the name of the town and it was the tallest building in town.
 Many people depended on elevators for employment and a source of income, from farmers who grew grain to railway workers who maintained track and drove grain trains, to the people who ran the elevator and sold agricultural products… and the list goes on. But because of new technologies in grain processing, elevators are becoming a part of the past. With the new concrete silos, the "inland terminals" the old wooden elevators are becoming a part of the past and disappear daily.
- Kristin F., Student
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