Discover, explore, and help preserve the iconic grain elevators of Nanton, Alberta. PRESERVING HISTORY
In the early 2000s, the abandonment of the Canadian Pacific railway threatened the demolition of the historic grain elevators that stood next to the railway in the town of Nanton. The citizens of Nanton rallied together for the protection and preservation of the town's historical landmarks. A historical society named "Save One" was formed, as the original goal of the society was to save the largest of the two standing grain elevators. The undertaking was a big one and it took three years to achieve, but the incredible effort put in by the many volunteers and local businesses proved to be so successful that they were able to save all three of the remaining buildings. The generous donations provided by members, local farmers and ranchers, and local businesses have enabled the replacement of the railway tracks next to the elevators and helped to restore the buldings to their former glory. The most notable restoration was painting the former Alberta Wheat Pool elevator back to its original green and the Pioneer elevator back to its original orange and yellow. This will need to be repeated about every 10 years, so the fundraising continues for that and other maintenance and upgrading. Thanks to the society and local contributions, the Canadian Grain Elevator Discovery Centre has been established to educate visitors about the elevators, the town and Alberta's agricultural history.
