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In 1929, several grain companies merged to form the Federal Grain Limited. They included the Federal Grain Company, Consolidated Elevator Company, Northwest Elevator Company, Golden West Grain Company, Southern Elevator Company, Brooks Elevator Company, International Elevator Company, McLaughlin Elevator Company, Stewart Grain Company, Topper Grain Company, and Union Grain Company. It later acquired the grain business of Wiley Low and Company (1932). The three key players in the formation of Federal were John Gage, Henry Sellers, and James Stewart.
When incorporated, Federal Grain acquired the country elevators of Maple Leaf Milling Company (54) and Gold Grain Company (14), bringing the company’s holdings to 355 elevators. In 1966, Federal Grain merged with the Searle Grain Company, combining Searle’s 457 country elevators with the 741 belonging to Federal, along with its three terminal elevators at Thunder Bay (Ontario) and one terminal elevator at Vancouver (British Columbia). The combined entity became Canada’s largest privately-owned grain company.
In early 1972, the company’s grain assets were purchased for $90 million by Manitoba Pool Elevators, Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, and Alberta Wheat Pool and the remaining corporate assets were held by Federal Industries Limited. Manitoba Pool took over the operation of its country elevators in Manitoba.

A certificate for 100 shares in Federal Grain (June 1971)
Source: Alexander Sellers
Chairmen
Presidents
Vice-Presidents
Country Elevators (Manitoba)
Location |
Rail |
Opened |
Closed |
Capacity
(bushels) |
Comments |
Alonsa |
CNR |
1946 |
1961 |
26,500 |
|
Altamont |
CNR |
1932 |
1972 |
65,800 |
Bought from Wiley Lowe (1932), sold to Manitoba Pool (1972) |
Altona |
CPR |
1929 |
1972 |
126,600 |
|
Amaranth |
CNR |
1946 |
1972 |
78,900 |
Sold to Manitoba Pool (1972) |
Angusville 1 |
CNR |
1967 |
1972 |
90,000 |
|
Angusville 2 |
CNR |
1969 |
1972 |
27,000 |
Bought from United Grain Growers (October 1968) |
Arborg |
CPR |
1967 |
1972 |
72,000 |
Sold to Manitoba Pool (1972) |
Argyle |
CNR |
1932 |
1972 |
56,200 |
Bought from Wiley Lowe (1932), sold to Manitoba Pool (1972), dismantled (1972-1973) |
Arrow River 1 |
CPR |
1929 |
1972 |
50,600 |
|
Arrow River 2 |
CPR |
1940 |
1958 |
20,000 |
Traded from Manitoba Pool (1940) |
Basswood |
CPR |
1929 |
1942 |
24,000 |
|
Benito 1 |
CNR |
1966 |
1972 |
68,000 |
Acquired from Searle Grain (1966), sold to Manitoba Pool (1972) |
Benito 2 |
CNR |
1969 |
1972 |
75,000 |
|
Bergen (Winnipeg) |
CPR |
1966 |
1972 |
153,400 |
Sold to Manitoba Pool (1972) |
Birch River |
CNR |
1967 |
1972 |
116,000 |
|
Birtle |
CPR |
1929 |
1935 |
18,000 |
|
Bowsman 1 |
CNR |
1967 |
1972 |
91,000 |
Acquired from Searle Grain (1966), sold to Manitoba Pool (1972) |
Bowsman 2 |
CNR |
1967 |
1972 |
25,000 |
Acquired from Searle Grain (1966), sold to Manitoba Pool (1972) |
Brandon 1 |
CPR |
1929 |
1972 |
24,100 |
Sold to Manitoba Pool (1972) |
Brandon 2 |
? |
1960 |
1972 |
74,900 |
|
Brandon 3 |
? |
1964 |
1972 |
120,000 |
Sold to Manitoba Pool (1972), sold to Pioneer Grain (1973) |
Broad Valley |
CNR |
1940 |
1972 |
50,700 |
Sold to Manitoba Pool (1972) |
Carroll |
CPR |
1932 |
1935 |
20,000 |
Bought from Wiley Lowe (1932) |
Cartwright 1 |
CPR |
1948 |
1972 |
? |
|
Cartwright 2 |
CPR |
1929 |
1972 |
? |
Bought from Paterson Grain (1969) |
Centennial Siding (Winnipeg) |
CPR |
1968 |
1972 |
55,000 |
Sold to Manitoba Pool (1972) |
Clearwater |
CPR |
1932 |
1972 |
48,000 |
Bought from Wiley Lowe (1932) |
Crandall |
CPR |
1929 |
1939 |
21,000 |
Bought from Ogilvie Flour (1928), traded to Manitoba Pool (1940) |
Cypress River |
CPR |
1929 |
1972 |
84,000 |
|
Darlingford |
CPR |
1932 |
1972 |
83,500 |
Bought from Wiley Lowe (1932) |
Dauphin |
CNR |
1967 |
1972 |
68,000 |
Acquired from Searle Grain (1966) |
Deloraine |
CPR |
1929 |
1972 |
117,900 |
Sold to Manitoba Pool (1972) |
East Selkirk |
CPR |
1969 |
1972 |
30,000 |
Acquired from Searle Grain (1966), sold to Manitoba Pool (1972) |
Erickson |
CNR |
1967 |
1972 |
71,000 |
Demolished (?) |
Ethelbert |
CNR |
1931 |
1952 |
68,000 |
|
Fallison |
CPR |
1932 |
1962 |
23,200 |
Bought from Wiley Lowe (1932), dismantled (1962) and lumber used to build elevator at Snowflake |
Fisher Branch 1 |
CNR |
1931 |
1972 |
79,700 |
|
Fisher Branch 2 |
CNR |
1950 |
1951 |
53,000 |
|
Fork River |
CNR |
1929 |
1972 |
66,100 |
Acquired from Brooks Elevator Company (1929), sold to Manitoba Pool (1972) |
Foxwarren |
CPR |
1929 |
1942 |
25,000 |
|
Garland |
CNR |
1967 |
1972 |
36,000 |
Acquired from Searle Grain (1966) |
Golden Stream |
CNR |
1932 |
1972 |
34,400 |
Bought from Wiley Lowe (1932), sold to Manitoba Pool (1972), closed and moved to private site |
Goodlands |
CPR |
1929 |
1972 |
75,500 |
|
Gretna |
CPR |
1929 |
1972 |
65,100 |
|
Grosse Isle |
CNR |
1932 |
1970 |
26,900 |
Bought from Wiley Lowe (1932), moved (July 1971) |
Helston |
CNR |
1932 |
1934 |
25,000 |
Bought from Wiley Lowe (1932) |
Hodgson |
CNR |
1949 |
1972 |
29,600 |
|
Holland |
CPR |
1929 |
1972 |
89,200 |
|
Holmfield |
CPR |
1932 |
1947 |
25,000 |
Bought from Wiley Lowe (1932), sold to Harrison Milling (late 1940s) |
Horndean |
CPR |
1928 |
1972 |
48,200 |
|
La Riviere |
CPR |
1932 |
1972 |
75,300 |
Bought from Wiley Lowe (1932), sold to Manitoba Pool (1972) |
Lakeland |
CNR |
1946 |
1972 |
78,600 |
|
Langruth |
CNR |
1932 |
1972 |
103,800 |
Bought from Western Grain (1932) |
Largs |
CPR |
? |
? |
? |
Sold to Manitoba Pool (July 1943) |
Lauder |
CPR |
1932 |
1949 |
45,000 |
Bought from Wiley Lowe (1932) |
Laurier |
CNR |
1929 |
1972 |
72,000 |
|
Libau |
CNR |
1967 |
1972 |
92,000 |
Acquired from Searle Grain (1966), sold to Manitoba Pool (1972) |
Linklater |
CPR |
1932 |
1932 |
25,000 |
Bought from Wiley Lowe (1932) |
Lower Fort Garry |
CPR |
1966 |
1972 |
38,000 |
Acquired from Searle Grain (1966) |
McCreary |
CNR |
1929 |
1972 |
71,300 |
|
Menzie |
CNR |
1931 |
1949 |
27,000 |
|
Miami 1 |
CNR |
1932 |
1972 |
76,500 |
Bought from Wiley Lowe (1932), sold to Manitoba Pool (1972) |
Miami 2 |
CNR |
1970 |
1972 |
55,000 |
Bought from United Grain Growers (March 1970), sold to Manitoba Pool (1972) |
Mile 10.6 (Winnipeg) |
CNR |
1962 |
1972 |
154,700 |
Sold to Manitoba Pool (1972) |
Mile 142.4 (Winnipeg) |
CNR |
1968 |
1972 |
134,000 |
|
Miniota |
CPR |
1929 |
1943 |
22,000 |
Bought from Maple Leaf Milling (1929), sold to Lake of the Woods (1944) |
Minitonas |
CNR |
1967 |
1972 |
115,000 |
Acquired from Searle Grain (1966) |
Mowbray |
CPR |
1932 |
1962 |
49,800 |
Bought from Wiley Lowe (1932) |
Myrtle |
CNR |
1932 |
1933 |
25,000 |
Bought from Wiley Lowe (1932) |
Napinka |
CPR |
1932 |
1935 |
26,000 |
Bought from Wiley Lowe (1932) |
Nesbitt |
CPR |
1927 |
1949 |
30,000 |
|
Ninga |
CPR |
1932 |
1947 |
20,000 |
Bought from Wiley Lowe (1932) |
Norgate |
CNR |
1929 |
1964 |
36,100 |
|
Notre Dame de Lourdes |
CNR |
1941 |
1972 |
78,400 |
|
Oakburn |
CNR |
1931 |
1972 |
71,900 |
|
Pilot Mound |
CPR |
1929 |
1972 |
81,300 |
|
Plum Coulee 1 |
CPR |
1929 |
1972 |
95,200 |
|
Plum Coulee 2 |
CPR |
1929 |
1951 |
52,000 |
|
Purves |
CPR |
1929 |
1972 |
72,400 |
|
Riverton |
CPR |
1967 |
1972 |
27,000 |
|
Roblin |
CNR |
? |
? |
? |
Sold to Manitoba Pool (July 1943) |
Rosenfeld |
CPR |
1929 |
1972 |
111,400 |
|
Rounthwaite |
CNR |
1927 |
1972 |
47,900 |
Sold to Manitoba Pool (1972), destroyed by fire (July 1972) |
St. Boniface (Winnipeg) |
CPR |
1967 |
1972 |
273,000 |
|
Sandy Lake |
CNR |
? |
? |
? |
Sold to Manitoba Pool (July 1943) |
Searle / Pacific Junction (Winnipeg) |
CNR |
1967 |
1972 |
285,000 |
|
Sevick |
CNR |
1929 |
1943 |
22,000 |
Sold to Manitoba Pool (July 1943) |
Sewell |
CPR |
1929 |
1968 |
45,500 |
Used only for storage (1967-1968), closed (August 1968) |
Shoal Lake |
CPR |
1932 |
1967 |
63,100 |
Bought from Wiley Lowe (1932) |
Silverton |
CNR |
? |
? |
? |
Sold to Manitoba Pool (July 1943) |
Snowflake |
CPR |
1932 |
1972 |
61,200 |
Bought from Wiley Lowe (1932) |
Somerset |
CNR |
1932 |
1933 |
20,000 |
Sold to Paterson Grain (1934) |
Stephenfield |
CNR |
1932 |
1964 |
16,000 |
Bought from Wiley Low (1932), destroyed by fire (September 1935), new elevator (1936) |
Stockton |
CPR |
1932 |
1970 |
32,100 |
Bought from Wiley Lowe (1932), demolished (1972) |
Swan Lake |
CNR |
1932 |
1972 |
111,500 |
Bought from Wiley Lowe (1932), sold to Manitoba Pool (1960) |
Swan River |
CNR |
1967 |
1972 |
136,000 |
Merged with Searle Grain (1967), sold to Manitoba Pool (1972) |
The Pas |
CNR |
1967 |
1972 |
36,000 |
Sold to Manitoba Pool (1972) |
Warren |
CNR |
1932 |
1972 |
80,800 |
Bought from Wiley Lowe (1932) |
Windygates |
CPR |
1932 |
1962 |
19,400 |
Bought from Wiley Lowe (1932) |
Winkler |
CPR |
1929 |
1972 |
125,500 |
Sold to Manitoba Pool (1972) |
Winnipeg |
CPR |
1938 |
1972 |
76,000 |
|
Winnipeg (Seed Division) |
CPR |
1946 |
1972 |
? |
|
Sources:
“H. E. Sellers re-elected President Federal Grain Ld.,” Winnipeg Free Press, 8 October 1931, page 18.
“Huge grain merger planned here,” Winnipeg Free Press, 26 July 1966, page 1.
“Pools bid for Federal,” Winnipeg Free Press, 17 February 1972, page 61.
Grain: The Entrepreneurs by Charles W. Anderson, Winnipeg: Watson & Dwyer Publishing, 1991.
Federal Grain Limited, Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan
We thank Mike Lisowski, Nathan Kramer, Alexander Sellers, and Dave MacGregor for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 1 August 2023
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