St. Albert Grain Elevator Park facts for kids
The grain elevators in 2010, prior to their restoration.
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| Established | 2005 |
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| Location | St. Albert, Alberta, Canada |
| Type | open-air, agricultural history, railway history |
The St. Albert Grain Elevator Park is a cool outdoor museum. It has two old grain elevators and a rebuilt train station. An open-air museum means you can explore buildings and exhibits outside, just like they used to be.
The park features two special grain elevators. One was built in 1906 by the Brackman-Ker Milling Company. The other was built in 1929 by the Alberta Wheat Pool. Both of these tall buildings were named "Provincial Historic Resources" in January 2007. This means they are important historical sites in Alberta. The park also has the St. Albert Railway Station and Visitor Centre. This building is a copy of the original 1909 St. Albert Canadian Northern Railway station. It was built in 2005.
The Arts & Heritage Foundation of St. Albert runs this museum. You can take guided tours of the grain elevators and the railway station. These tours are available from May to September each year.
Contents
What Are Grain Elevators?
Grain elevators are tall buildings used to store grain. Farmers bring their harvested grain, like wheat or barley, to these elevators. The grain is then lifted up and stored safely inside. Later, it can be loaded onto trains or trucks to be sent to other places. These elevators were very important for farmers in the past. They helped get crops from farms to markets.
Restoring History: The Elevators' Makeover
The grain elevators in St. Albert were built during a very important time. This was when Canada's grain trade was booming. They were key to moving crops across the country.
The grain elevators were closed for a year to be fixed up. They reopened to the public in 2011. The restoration project made sure the buildings were safe and strong again. Workers fixed the foundations and put new shingles on the roofs. They also secured and repainted the metal on the outside. Any rotten wood was replaced, and the windows were carefully repaired.
Work continued on the 1929 elevator into 2011. This elevator needed more repairs than the 1906 one. It got new siding and was repainted in the classic Alberta Wheat Pool colors. It even got the company's logo back. The City of St. Albert, Arts and Heritage, and the construction teams worked together. They made sure all the repairs followed special rules for historic places. This helped keep the elevators looking just like they did long ago.
See also
External links
- Website
