The official opening of St. Albert Grain Elevator Park takes place Sunday, Sept. 18, in conjunction with a harvest festival and a number of entertaining activities for everyone in the family.
“We’ve staggered the opening of the grain elevators this summer with an event July 1 and again at the 150th anniversary picnic. But now both grain elevators will be open and we will officially thank all the people who worked on them and restored them,” said Ann Ramsden, executive director of heritage sites for the City of St. Albert.
The elevators, purchased by the city in 1991, shortly after Alberta Wheat Pool closed them in 1989, needed extensive upgrades to enable them to be used as historic sites. The Grain Elevator Park officially opened in 2005.
The silver elevator was built in 1906 by Brackman Ker, a grain milling company from Vancouver. The green elevator was built in 1929 by Alberta Wheat Pool. Both were designated as provincial historic resources in January 2007.
Restoration was extensive and cost approximately $1.7 million, Ramsden said, as she explained that new exterior doors were added, the loading platform was rebuilt and the area had to be re-landscaped for structural safety as well as for the safety of visitors to the park.
“The restoration included stabilizing the foundation for both buildings and new roofs. The green one, built in 1929, needed new siding,” Ramsden said, adding that the restorations were funded by Alberta Historical Resources Foundation.
On Sunday, visitors to the park will be able to walk inside the tall, cool buildings to learn the importance of the elevators to St. Albert’s agricultural history. They will see how the grain was processed, weighed and graded.
Other Harvest Festival activities include demonstrations by the St. Albert Quilters’ Guild and finger weaving. Youngsters can try some old-fashioned carnival games such as the beanbag toss and the pumpkin rings. They can make a pinecone bird feeder and pull taffy while they are entertained by musicians Trevor and Stephen Tchir.
New this year is a mini market featuring vendors such as Fred’s Barn Board Creations, Peter Kirk’s Against the Grain, Lola Canola, Ukrainian Homemade Breads and Baking and artist David Scott.
The Harvest Festival takes place Sunday, Sept. 18, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The grand opening ceremony takes place at 11:30 a.m. For more information phone the Musée Heritage Museum at 780-459-1528 or visit www.museeheritage.com
