A transfer elevator off Springfield Road in the Rural Municipality of Springfield was constructed in 1912 for the Canadian Pacific Railway by the Barnett-McQueen Company of Fort William [now Thunder Bay], Ontario. Built entirely of reinforced concrete, its 65 silos were designed to store up to one million bushels of grain arriving from country elevators across the prairies. Over a period of 12 hours on 18 October 1913, the annex sank into the ground until it listed at an angle of 28.53 degrees. Filled with wheat, holes were bored in the silos so the grain could be removed. A new foundation to bedrock was then constructed under the annex, and it was re-straightened.
Through the years, the elevator was leased by the railway successively to Wiley Low and Company and Eastern Terminal Elevator Company (a subsidiary of James RIchardson and Sons). In 1970, it was purchased by Parrish & Heimbecker and used until closure in Fall 2021.
Elevator after construction (circa 1912)
Source: Ken Skaftfeld
View of the tilted grain elevator (18 October 1913) by Lewis B. Foote
Source: Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote collection, #1801 N2793
View of the tilted grain elevator (18 October 1913) by Lewis B. Foote
Source: Archives of Manitoba, L. B. Foote collection, #1802 N2794
Aerial view of the Parrish & Heimbecker grain elevator alongside the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks (October 2015)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Parrish & Heimbecker grain elevator (November 2015)
Source: Nathan Kramer
Parrish & Heimbecker grain elevator (September 2017)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Aerial view of the former Parrish & Heimbecker grain elevator (October 2021)
Source: Gordon GoldsboroughSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.92685, W97.01516
denoted by symbol on the map above
“Five hundred men work on Transcona yards of C.P.R.,” Manitoba Free Press, 29 June 1912, page 12.
“Big elevator annex sways under strain,” Manitoba Free Press, 20 October 1913, page 1.
“Scheme to save huge Transcona grain elevator,” Winnipeg Tribune, 21 October 1913, page 1.
“Million bushel C.P.R. elevator annex is listing,” Winnipeg Tribune, 21 October 1913, page 3.
“Contract let to straighten big elevator,” Winnipeg Tribune, 12 November 1913, page 1.
“A piece of working history,” Winnipeg Free Press, 11 September 2013.
We thank William Parrish, Ken Skaftfeld, Jean McManus, and Nathan Kramer for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 11 October 2021
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