Manitoba Business: Western Canada Flour Mills

Link to:
Presidents | Country Elevators | See Also | Sources

The Western Canada Flour Mills originated in 1881 with the establishment of the A. Kelly Milling Company at Brandon by miller Andrew Kelly. In July 1903, it amalgamated with Parrish & Lindsay then, on 1 May 1905, with Lake Huron & Manitoba Milling Company to form the Western Canada Flour Company. The founding executives included Kelly (President), Samuel McGaw (Vice-President and General Manager), Arthur Hills (Secretary), E. J. Barclay (Treasurer), A. J. Mitchell (Secretary), and Louis Lukes. It operated grain-processing mills at Goderich, Ontario (2,000 barrels per day of flour) and Brandon (400 barrels per day of flour and 150 barrels per day of oatmeal), and a salt works at Goderich (200 barrels per day of salt.)

In June 1940, the company sold its 41 remaining country elevators in Manitoba to the Manitoba Pool for $254,200. Another 20 elevators in Saskatchewan and 15 in Alberta were sold to other interests.

Presidents

Period	President
1905-?	Andrew Kelly (1852-1930)

Country Elevators (Manitoba)

Location	No.	Rail	Built	1936 Capacity (bushels)	Comments
Arden		CPR	1916	30,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Arrow River		CPR	1901	25,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940), traded to Federal Grain (1940)
Austin		CPR	1901	25,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Belleview		CNR	1915	25,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Beresford		CPR	1925	30,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Brandon		CPR	?	120,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Broomhill		CPR	?	30,000
Brunkild		CNR	1928	35,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Carey		CPR	?	25,000
Carnegie		CPR	?	25,000
Clanwilliam		CNR	1908	25,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Coulter		CPR	?	28,000
Croll		CPR	1913	30,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Cypress River		CPR	?	30,000
Dalny		CPR	1910	25,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Domain		CPR	1918	30,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Eden		CNR	1927	30,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Elgin	54	CNR	c1912	40,000
Elm Creek		CPR	?	25,000	Sold to Paterson Grain (1938), demolished (1938)
Gilbert Plains		CNR	1910	27,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Giroux		CNR	1919	30,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Gladstone		CNR	1905	30,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Glenboro		CPR	?	25,000
Glenella		CNR	1905	25,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Grandview		CNR	1905	25,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Hamiota		CPR	1929	35,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Harding		CPR	1902	25,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Hargrave		CPR	?	30,000
Hartney		CNR	1909	35,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Headingley		CPR	1908	25,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Helston		CNR	1905	25,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Isabella		CNR	1910	30,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Katrime		CNR	1905	25,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Kelwood		CNR	1929	35,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Lavinia		CNR	1909	30,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Lowe Farm		CNR	1936	35,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
MacGregor		CPR	1909	25,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Makinak		CNR	1905	25,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Morris		CNR	?	20,000
Neelin		CNR	1905	25,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Oakbank		CPR	1910	20,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Oakburn		CNR	1919	30,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Osborne		CPR	1918	30,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Pendennis		CPR	1905	25,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Plumas		CNR	?	25,000
Regent		CPR	1914	30,000	Built by Western Canada Flour Mills (1914), sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Russell		CNR	1901	30,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Ste. Anne		CNR	?	8,000
St. Boniface		CPR	?	35,000
Springhill		CNR	Bef 1912	45,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Starbuck		CPR	1928	35,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Stonewall		CPR	1909	40,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Teulon		CPR	1920	35,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)
Vista		CNR	Bef 1912	30,000	Sold to Manitoba Pool (1940)

See Also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Western Canada Flour Mills / Purity Flour Mills / Maple Leaf Mills (440 Archibald Street, Winnipeg)

Sources:

“A mammoth milling plant,” Winnipeg Tribune, 22 July 1905, page 2.

Western Canada Elevators, File 8, RG 4, Manitoba Pool Elevators fonds, Series B, Central Office Records, B.14, Acquisitions, Box 1: 1937-1977, S. J. McKee Archives.

Elevator Company Files [Temporary Box #1], Paterson Grain Company, John Everitt Fonds, S. J. McKee Archives, Brandon University.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 23 December 2020