This week on the arts,culture, and lifestyle column, we look at an iconic feature of the Canadian landscape, the prairie grain elevator, and meet self-described ‘vatorologist, Jim Pearson
He’s travelled throughout the prairies to visit and photograph many of the elevators. He’s written several books, and sells cardstock models of them as well. I spoke to him in Drumheller Alberta
Listen
The Canadian prairies supply a vast proportion of the world’s grain and cereal needs. Canada has long been a major exporter of these vital grains.
As the young country was first been settled and tens of thousands of small farms spread out across the prairies, giant grain elevators were built alongside the railway line so that the grain could be sent to markets..
Because all the surrounding farms went to the elevators, it became a gathering spot and towns sprang up around them.
Each one was unique in its design and build, as there was no set plan, so each one had its own charachter.
However in the past couple of decades, the railways have abandoned lines leaving many of the elevators without a connection to markets so they too have been abandoned, and many torn down or left to fall apart on their own.
Fortunately, some are being preserved.
JIm Pearson Vanishing Sentinels website
NFB Documentary- Grain elevator
Youtube grain elevator tour
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=AWQrh7_LAlg
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