Western Grain By-Products Storage
"Fort William Elevator"
Image Gallery
A full view of Western Grain By-Products taken from the Pool 5 lot. This terminal has a distinct H shape due to its second workhouse above the riverside annex bins.
A full view of the Fort William Elevator taken from the Kaministiquia River. Consolidated Elevator is partially visible to the right.
A huge Canada Steamship Lines vessel loads at Western Grain By-Products. Pool 11 is visible in the right-hand background.
A view of Western Grain By-Products taken from inland. The freestanding chimney stack is partially destroyed due to a lightning strike and is eventually torn down. The 'Fort William Elevator Co. F' sign is still visible on the workhouse.
A historical view of the busy Kaminitiquia River terminals. Fort William Elevator loads a ship in the centre of the photo. Western Grain stands in behind, and Paterson Elevator is visible further upriver.
A view between the two workhouses of Western Grain By-Products. The bright blue machine is the elevator's modern dust control system.
The Western Grain By-Products office. The large chalkboard on the left is used for annex bin inventory. Photo taken during a tour of the facility.
An interior view of Western Grain By-Products. The machine in the centre is one of the many cleaners that shakes the grain through a series of sieves. Photo taken during a tour of the facility.
A view of the Western Grain By-Products car shed interior. This car shed was unique when it was built because the decorative red brick panelling was used throughout for purely aesthetic purposes. Photo taken during a tour of the facility.
A close-up photo of a huge wooden wheel that once operated Western Grain By-Products' rope-drive system. As technology advanced, this hazardous system was changed, but the terminal kept the old machinery as artifacts. Photo taken during a tour of the facility.
These pieces weigh up to 2000lbs and are used to test the scales in the elevators to ensure the product is the correct weight. Photo taken during a tour of the facility.
A view of the machinery in the terminal's basement. Within the large column is the elevation leg that brings grain to the top to the workhouse. The elevation leg consists of a conveyor belt lined with buckets. Photo taken during a tour of the facility.
A view of the Western Grain By-Products scale floor taken from above during a tour of the facility.
An interior view of Western Grain By-Products' annex floor. Photo taken during a tour of the facility.
A photo of the manual scales used for weighing in the early years of operation. Now, all terminals use electronic scales. Photo taken during a tour of the facility.
Another angle of the manual scales used for weighing in the early years of operation. Photo taken during a tour of the facility.
A view below the scales at Western Grain By-Products. Photo taken during a tour of the facility.
A view of the belt in the basement of Western Grain By-Products. Photo taken during a tour of the facility.
A view of the top of the bins in the Western Grain By-Products annex. A ladder goes down into the interspace bin. These odd-shaped spaces between the huge cylindrical silos were also used for storage. Photo taken during a tour of the facility.
A photo of the "trip" machine on the annex floor that helps move grain to the proper belts and bins. Photo taken during a tour of the facility.
A view of the distributing floor (sometimes called the D Floor) at Western Grain By-Products. The small circles on the floor are hatches that spouts open into to store grain in the bins below. Photo taken during a tour of the facility.
Tour group in Western Grain By-Products.
An engineering plan of Fort William Elevator F made by CD Howe Company.