Individuals and groups attempting to preserve, restore and develop prairie grain elevator sites encounter a variety of issues. Often other groups have faced similar challenges and have developed knowledge and strategies to solve them. There are a number of resource people with the Alberta Grain Elevator Society (AGES), within the provincial government, and in the private sector who have developed expertise in the preservation of grain elevators. This listing is an attempt to connect AGES members with that experience and expertise. It is a work in progress.
ERNIE HALUN, Radway
(780) 736-3542
Ernie works with the group that has preserved and restored the Krause Elevator and Flour Mill, a Provincial Historic Resource at Radway. He is experienced in getting things done. He can advise on reputable contractors to clean and paint elevators and direct you to others with valuable experience about the do's and don'ts of preservation and restoration. Restoring elevators is expensive, so you can be assured that Ernie's group has experience in fundraising too. Ernie's current preoccupations are with issues of site security and fire suppression systems.
HANS HUIZINGA, Edmonton
(780)473-9045
Heritage Restoration Consultant
Hans is a Certified Engineering Technologist and retired teacher. He has worked with a variety of museums across Alberta, including the Remington Alberta Carriage Centre, the Alberta Railway Museum, St. Albert Heritage Sites developing the Alberta Wheat Pool Grain Elevators, and Barr Colony Museum in Lloydminster. Hans has developed educational programmes on the beginnings and the development of prairie agriculture incorporating the elevator and its authentic ancillary equipment such as scales and separators. He has a wealth of knowledge on grain elevators and their development and is particularly interested in developing programs for interpretation of grain elevators using curriculum-based criteria.
HIGH RIVER PRESERVATION AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Daniel Murphy, President (403)601-2075
Penny Leckie, Director (403)206-5368
Walter and Marjorie Danylak (403)601-4961
Negotiating sale/purchase: Advice on negotiating strategies that can effectively appeal to grain companies.
Financial: This group is the only one we know of that successfully floated bonds to buy the elevator and its land at High River.
Group dynamics: Successful in maintaining its preservation group despite the disastrous fire, which destroyed their elevator in High River, and are now gaining support for a grain heritage facility to be built on their elevator land. If you want to know how to make friends and influence people to help you in your preservation project, these are the people to advise you.
Fire suppression: Unfortunately, they have learned the hard way about how to best protect your elevator against fire. You can benefit from their wisdom before any ambitious elevator-cleaning project.
Municipal politics and local perceptions: Most elevator preservation projects meet opposition from those who dislike grain companies and from those who simply cannot see the point of it. High River has been successful in working with key figures and historical groups to win the hearts and minds of public figures and local politicians in their community.
Goals and objectives: Walter has thought beyond mere preservation. He is an eloquent proponent of long-term survival by developing elevators into tourist facilities, which are valuable because they attract people.
CPR: A perennial topic for fulmination and venting at AGES meetings. High River was successful in purchasing elevator property from the CPR – enough said!
Publicity: This group is aware of the need to use publicity to bring elevators into public awareness, as we have witnessed Daniel on top of one. Walt also has many ideas, one of which is developing an “Elevator Trail.”
CALVIN STEINLEY, Leduc
(780)986-3964
Calvin's preservation group is responsible for saving the Leduc elevator. Consequently he has experience with a wide range of challenges.
CPR: Calvin has had a gamut of experience in dealing with this company. He can certainly give you some guidance. Calvin's current preoccupation is that of disused railway spurs which nevertheless restrict access to elevators for emergency vehicles. He hopes to find painless methods of persuading railway companies to part with them.
Agricore: Calvin can give you some guidance if you have to deal with this company as he did successfully in securing the Leduc elevator.
Provincial Historic Resource Designation: He may be able to advise your group if this is your goal.
Media: Calvin has worked with CBC, Global and the Edmonton Journal in publicizing the Leduc Elevator's preservation and the preservation movement. You may be able to attract similar attention for your project with his help.
Promotion and persuasion: Calvin's group has been very successful in persuading County and City administrations that a preserved elevator is a desirable asset to have at the city's core. Calvin works successfully with the local chamber of commerce and branches of local government such as the Downtown Revitalization Committee who strongly support his group's endeavours. If your local government and business organizations are apathetic or even negative towards preservation efforts, you may benefit from Calvin's strategies.
MIKE YAKIELASHEK, Castor
(403)882-3215
As Town Administrator, Mike has helped the Castor and District Museum Society surmount a variety of problems. Mike can particularly offer valuable advice upon the topics of:
CPR: Many elevators stand on land leased from railway companies own within town boundaries. Mike has purchased land from the CPR for the Castor elevator and may have some valuable contacts within the CPR monolith who can ease the purchase process if not the price.
Subdivisions and re-zoning often accompany the purchase process. Mike can explain both of these and tell you who can help.
Heritage conservation advisers with the Historic Resources Management Branch provide technical information to historic resource owners to assist with building restoration/rehabilitation projects. Such assistance is often done in conjunction with an application to the Heritage Preservation Partnership Program of the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation. Please visit the Branch's web site for the heritage conservation advisor in your region.
Historians
Dorothy Field, Head, Heritage Survey Program, Heritage Resource Management Branch, 780/431-2339. Architectural historian, keeper of the province's inventory of historic places: a heritage resource database of over 70,000 structures. All of Alberta's grain elevators are listed here, among other historic structures such as houses and train stations. This information is available to the public and can be added to by authenticated research.
Jane Ross, Curator/Head of Western Canadian History, Royal Alberta Museum, 780/453-9176. Historian with extensive knowledge of grain elevator history and curatorial and exhibit expertise.
Funding
Alberta Historical Resources Foundation Heritage Preservation Partnership Program. Contact Monika McNabb, 780/431-2305. Funding for studies, architectural/engineering services, and restoration is awarded on a matching basis according to the level of protection, i.e. provincial or municipal historic resource. Work must be pre-approved by a departmental Preservation Advisor and meet established standards and guidelines.
Other funding sources: Monika can advise elevator preservationists on other provincial funding sources as well.
Judy Larmour, Historical Research & Interpretation Consultant: 403/748-4862. Conducted grain elevator inventory in Alberta and extensive historical research on prairie grain elevators and flourmills; research and site interpretive planning expertise.
Grain Academy, Stampede Park, Calgary: 403/261-0214, Gerry Hall (403/235-0286), Curtis Royer or Wayne Lawson.
Allan Partridge, HIP Architects, Edmonton: 780/424-9010. Specializing in preservation/restoration, Life and Building Safety Codes, fire protection/sprinkler systems recommendations.
Lorne Simpson, Simpson Roberts Architecture, Calgary: 403/265-1313. Specializing in preservation/restoration, Life and Building Safety Codes, fire protection/sprinkler systems recommendations.
Penny Christoffersen and Len Clark, Ardrossan, AB: 780/922-4450; fax 780-922-4860. Specializing in historic site planning, museums, interpretive and facilities planning, strategic and master plans.
Alvin Reinhard Fritz Architect Inc Lethbridge Tel: 403-320-8100 general@alvinfritzarchitect.com. We specialize in heritage preservation/restoration, Life and Building Safety Codes, and fire protection/sprinkler systems recommendations.
Eveready Industrial Services Ltd
15715 - 121a Avenue, Edmonton, AB T5V 1B1
Neil Shepherdson
Tel 780/451-6969
Cell 780/721-5356
TnT Industrial Cleaning Services
Jason Ritter
Tel 780/469-4073
For translucent door sections:
Ultra Lite Overhead Doors Ltd
8458 - 23 Avenue NE, Calgary, AB T1Y 7H1
Tel 403/280-2000
Blue Bronna Painting Ltd
Contact: Glenn Brown
Box 1042, Three Hills, AB TOM 2A0
Tel 403/443-5718
Fax 403/443-5082
Darryl Jescke
Nett Construction Ltd
Box 189, Dalmeny, SK S0K 1E0
Tel 306/254-4500
Robert & Sheila Stemberger
F.S. Painting Ltd
Mundare, AB
780-915-1601
rsstem@rjvnet.ca
ADT Security Services
Khalid Najmeddine
16447 - 117 Avenue, Edmonton, AB T5M 3V3
Cell 780/445-9192
Tel 780/930-5159
Viking Fire Protection Inc
20403 - 111 Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB T5S 1X9
Andrew Benkovich
Tel 780/447-4600
Vipond Fire Protection
Mike Rogoschewsky
13056 Yellowhead Trail, Edmonton, AB T5L 3C1
Tel 780/447-1863
Perma-Seal Glass Ltd
9505 - 56 Avenue, Edmonton, AB T8E 0B2
Gordon Gauvin
Tel 780/434-9487
Cell 780/903-1487
Ray Dreger (tel 403-782-3605) has collected a wide variety of hard-to-find items salvaged from demolished elevators. These may be useful for interpretive displays and to replace missing artifacts at elevator museums. A select list of items is as follows: hoist leathers, drive rope, rope black, drive belts, belt tightening bracket, rope tension weight, compressor and motor, railcar jacks, line shaft complete with clutch and pulleys, window frames, platform scale beams, bin doors, canola dockage tester, permit books, hopper scale beams, siding corner tins, gerber numbers, oil moisture testers, metal roof vent, and capacitor-type phase converters.