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 special open-air museum where you can explore history outdoors. It features two old grain elevators and a rebuilt railway station.
A grain elevator is a tall building used to store large amounts of grain, like wheat or barley. Farmers would bring their crops here before they were sent off by train.
The park has two important 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 buildings were recognized as important historical sites in 2007. 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 from May to September. It's a great way to learn about how people lived and worked long ago!
Bringing History Back to Life
The grain elevators in St. Albert were built during a very important time for Canada's grain trade. This was when growing and selling grain was a huge part of the country's economy.
These old buildings were closed for a year to be fixed up. They reopened to visitors in 2011 after a big restoration project. The work included fixing the foundations, which are the parts of the building that sit on the ground. Workers also put new shingles on the roofs and made sure the metal siding was secure and freshly painted.
Any rotten wood was replaced, and the windows were carefully restored. The 1929 elevator needed more work because it had more rotten parts than the 1906 one. It was also given new siding and painted with the original Alberta Wheat Pool colors and logo.
Many groups worked together on this project. The City of St. Albert, Arts and Heritage, and construction companies made sure the restoration followed special rules. These rules help keep historic places looking as they did in the past.
See also
