Timeline

Men join hands over the track in Westfort, in the district of Thunder Bay, at the spot where the first spike of the CPR was placed in 1875

After completing the route from Thunder Bay to the Winnipeg, the CPR extended their transcontinental lines through to the West Coast, finishing in Eagle Pass, British Colombia in 1885. The first train to Winnipeg left Thunder Bay on July 7, 1882.

The first grain from the Prairies arrived while the CPR Port Arthur terminal was still under construction. It was held in temporary storage in Fort William and was later transported by rail to Port Arthur.

This ship, The Erin, carried the first shipment of western Canadian grain out of Thunder Bay, before the first elevator was built. The 54-metre ship headed south on Lake Superior with--by some reports--an estimated 300 tonnes of wheat, all loaded with shovel and wheelbarrow from the Marks dock in Port Arthur.

CPR built the original wooden elevator on the property where a concrete elevator stands today,  just north of Prince Arthur’s Landing. Popularly known as the King or Horn elevator in the early days, it ended its useful life as Manitoba Pool 2.

On May 1, 1884, car #1194 unloaded the first boxcar load of wheat into the CPR terminal. The event’s date and car number were recorded on one of the elevator’s loading spouts.

CPR Elevator A is built on the west bank of the Kaministiquia River, ushering in the golden age of grain shipments from Fort William.

Two stories exist for the first shipment of grain taken from a Fort William Elevator. In the first, the Sligo loads 17,000 bushels of wheat in the spring, but its captain refuses to go upriver to the elevator, so the ship has to load indirectly in the harbour. In the second, the Algoma loads an unspecified amount of wheat directly from the elevator after dredging occurred in the Kam River.

CPR expands its Kam River grain handling capacity with the building of Elevator B at the foot of Victoria Avenue in Fort William's business district.

Elevator C is built near Elevator A, acting essentially as an annex for the other elevator. The 3 CPR elevators built to this date on the Kaministiquia had a capacity of over 3 million bushels.

This elevator was built on the bend in the river on land that once held John McLaurin’s trading post. CPR D would go on to become the longest standing CPR elevator on the Kam River, changing names to the Northland and the Westland D in its lifetime.

With the addition of grain drying equipment, the CPR Port Arthur terminal becomes the first “hospital” elevator in Canada. The equipment allowed the terminal to process wet and damaged grain to increase its value and avoid waste. Many later terminals on the waterfront followed this practice.

This elevator, the first terminal not owned by the CPR, was built by the Canadian Northern Railway. By the elevator's completion in 1902, the CNoR also finished its own rail link between the port at Winnipeg. Eventually two workhouses, A and B, serviced the bins that housed 9.5 million bushels at this elevator.

Despite claiming the steel tanks at Elevator D were fireproof, these bins and most of the elevator completely burnt to the ground in 1902--only the boiler and the engine house were saved. A replacement elevator was built in 1903.

Like Elevator C, Elevator E is built as an annex to B and operated with the other terminal as a single unit.

The CPR constructs 9 new concrete annex bins on their Port Arthur terminal using the newly developed slipform technique. This marked the first use of concrete slipform at the Lakehead and the first successful use of concrete slipform ever (previous attempts in the US either cracked or crumbled).

The Empire was the first non-railway-owned elevator, built by a western Canadian company of the same name.

The elevator burns completely to the ground. The blaze can be seen throughout Fort William. The terminal is promptly rebuilt.

The terminal and mill were built by the Ogilvie Company, a Montreal-based syndicate. The flour mill was the first of its kind in Fort William. The terminal was later purchased by Saskatchewan Wheat Pool in 1963 and renamed Pool 8.

Prime Minister Wilfred Laurier turned the first sod on September 11, 1905.

The CPR D's newly reconstructed workhouse burns to the ground. This ill-fated elevator went through several catastrophes in its early years, even being nicknamed “The House of Mysteries” by the Daily Times Journal.

Generating power from Kakabeka Falls, this plant was essential for the growing number of elevators and manufacturers setting up at the Lakehead.

On May 26, 1906, the storage bins slid 50 feet off of their foundation into the Kam River, spilling hundreds of thousands of bushels of grain. Reports of this disaster appeared in newspapers across the nation and in the US. The bins were rebuilt farther from the river and remain as part of the elevator today. Eventually the elevator became Saskatchewan Pool 8 and later Riverside Grain.

This bridge, built over the CPR rail yards at the foot of Brown Street, connected the nearby Westfort grain community to the elevators along the Kam River. The bridge allowed workers to safely cross the tracks without having to navigate busy rail traffic on the ground.

Just upstream from Elevator D, this elevator was built as two distinct units—the first of tile, the second in 1911 of concrete. Some sources have the first unit being built in 1904. The elevator began operations June 4, 1907.

The Grand Trunk Pacific Elevator, another railway-owned terminal, was the first to be built on the south shore of the Kaministiquia River across from Mission Island. The elevator began receiving grain in 1910.

The first workhouse and silos were built upstream from Consolidated. Eventually 4 additions joined the original structure.

Thunder Bay Elevator was erected in Port Arthur in what came to be known as Intercity. It was the first of a long string of elevators that would follow in this neighbourhood in short order.

LSCA is formed by grain shippers to streamline grain shipments out of the port. LSCA ceased operation in 2012.

This elevator was built on the Kaministiquia, upstream from the James St. bridge. It was the first of three elevators that would sit within the man-made river turning basin. The company built the elevator to replace an inland terminal sold to Davidson & Smith.

The bridge, completed in 1913, connected the CPR to Mission Island.

After a string of fires and small explosions, the CPR replaces all of Elevator D’s steel bins with concrete. The elevator will increase its capacity again in 1913 to become the largest elevator in the world for the time.

The Canadian government establishes the Board of Grain Commissioners after passing the Canadian Grain Act that same year. The weighing and inspecting departments of this institution worked with terminal elevator operators to ensure the quality of Canadian grain. In 1913, the group established their office in the historic Chapple’s building. Later, this organization would be called the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC).

The elevator is built across the river from Ogilvie and is later taken over by the Gillespie Grain Company. The Dwyer caught fire in 1924 and closed, making the Gillespie Company move their operation to Port Arthur.

In response to farmers’ demands, the federal government constructs and operates this Intercity elevator. Later it will become McCabe’s Elevator, and later still, UGG M house. Operations began on October 16, 1913, after final construction was supervised by C.D. Howe.

David Horn, who managed the CPR elevator in Port Arthur, joins with Nicholas Bawlf to build this elevator on the Kam River, starting construction in 1912. The terminal took its place between the Consolidated and Western Terminal.

The elevator, designed for corn rather than wheat storage, is constructed on Mission Island. The plant made glucose, syrups, and corn oil, but didn’t make starch for its first few years of operation.

Davidson & Smith moved its business from Fort William to the Intercity area with the opening of this elevator. Manitoba Pool eventually takes over in 1934 and renames the elevator Pool 1.

The Black and Muirhead’s storage addition broke the record for fastest annex construction, taking only 37 days to complete with 50 men.

Primarily a hospital elevator, this terminal was the second elevator built by Paterson at the Lakehead—the first was an inland terminal, Paterson K. The initial wooden structure built adjacent to James St. bridge was destroyed by fire in 1926 and rebuilt in 1927.

Built by Grain Growers Grain and later called Alberta Pool 9, this elevator was the first to appear in the Current River area of the Port Arthur harbour.

The boxcar from Hanley, Saskatchewan held 2,108 bushels of 2 Northern grain worth $3,882.75. Today, the car would be worth $84,203.52.

The terminal joins the Black & Muirhead in the Kaministiquia River turning basin. Three units were eventually built, with the last addition in 1926.

The Northwestern is the final elevator to go up on the turning basin. Expansions are completed in 1919, 1922, and 1924.

The first of the farmer owned elevators, Elevator 4A takes its place in Current River, followed by the connected Elevator 4B in the next year.

This hospital elevator was operated by a different company (Western Grain Company) until later amalgamating with Western Terminal Company in the late 1920s and operating as one.

The Richardson subsidiary, Eastern Terminal Elevator Company, builds its own elevator in Current River after leasing Elevator A and C from the CPR in Fort William. The terminal would later change names to Richardson Main.

The fire creates minor losses, as no machinery was in the workhouse nor wheat in the bins. The workhouse is rebuilt and expanded in 1920.

This elevator is totally destroyed and not replaced. Firefighting efforts were put into saving the two nearby elevators also on the turning basin, the Electric and Northwestern.

The new style of rail car held 3,025 bushels and was unloaded in 12 minutes. In comparison, a boxcar holding 1,100 bushels would take 12 and a half minutes and required at least 2 men to unload. Though hopper cars were developed this early in the century, they wouldn't become the dominant type of rail car for grain shipping until the 1970s.

The company, made up of Searle Grain, Federal Grain, and International Grain, used the facility primarily as extra storage for Searle and Federal in bumper crop years.

Eventually, Parrish and Heimbecker renamed this elevator the P&H. The original terminal had only 6 bins. Extra storage was added in 1927 and 1961.

Unlike many of the companies which had head offices in Winnipeg, the Gillespie Grain Company was headquartered in Edmonton.

The wooden workhouse was replaced and additional concrete bins were added to form the building that stands today. As the terminal was now farther away from the original dock, a loading gallery was also built to reach the water.

This elevator is the mirror image of The Stewart Elevator. Several units are added over the years, including a malting house. Later the elevator becomes Canada Malting.

This elevator was constructed at the same time as the Bawlf. They are mirror images. Federal Grain later purchases the elevator, and later still, Saskatchewan Wheat Pool adds it to Pool 7 as Pool 7B.

The marine leg, able to unload grain from ships into the elevator, is the only of its kind in the Lakehead until Pool 7 is built in 1928.

After leasing terminals around Thunder Bay, Reliance Grain Company finally builds its own elevator. The elevator later became Manitoba Pool 3.

Despite the damage, the elevator was able to continue shipping and cleaning in the annex while the new workhouse was constructed.

The wooden workhouse was completely destroyed. A new, expanded structure was promptly built in 1927.

The Current River terminal began construction on May 31, 1927, and operations began December 15, 1927. UGG operated this elevator for several years until mergers took place. The company later became Agricore and then Viterra. After being left for years in disuse, the elevator is now owned and operated by Richardson.

Fire hazards, the large land lot, and the lack of use were cited as issues leading up to the demolition.

The company chooses not to rebuild, and moves their business to Port Arthur by buying the CPR terminal in 1930. The concrete silos remain standing on the Kam River until demolished in 2013.

The elevator's construction gives Intercity its full complement of elevators. The terminal was completed in one stage, becoming the largest single unit terminal in the world. Construction breaks the recent UGG A record for fastest build by two months: construction began on May 14, 1928, and operations began October 15, 1928.

Built beside the Grand Trunk Pacific Elevator, this was the last elevator built in Fort William and the last full terminal built in the Lakehead. The elevator currently operates as G3 Terminal.

Bole, the head of Electric Elevator Company, is convicted of falsifying elevator warehouse receipts in order to receive government subsidies. Electric Elevator is sold and becomes the Phoenix Elevator the next year. The Phoenix operates for only one year before closing the elevator again.

The workhouse on Union Terminal -- previously UGG H -- catches fire and burns to the ground. The blaze causes $200,000 in damages and is promptly rebuilt. In the coming years, Union Terminal will change ownership to Manitoba Pool Elevators and then Alberta Wheat Pool, becoming Pool 9 under both companies.

The new workhouse, built in 1923, is completely destroyed. C.D. Howe designs and reconstructs a new workhouse by 1937.

Fifteen large wooden storage houses are built to house grain pouring in from the prairies that have no market outlets during WWII. After the war they were all dismantled, but the concrete slabs foundations for many are still visible.

Long wooden warehouses on the left side of the image show wartime storage facilities near Eastern Elevator in Current River

McCabe Grain Company reopens the closed Electric/Phoenix on the turning basin, renaming it McCabe C. In 1946, the terminal will change names again to the Lakehead Terminal A.

Twenty-two workers are killed in this tragic explosion, caused by ignited screening dust that traveled through the terminal. The elevator is rebuilt in 1946.

After dismantling, the parts for B and E are sold for scrap. CPR D becomes the last standing CPR elevator in Fort William.

The companies operate under Westland Elevator Company Limited, renaming the elevator Westland D. The venture revitalizes the terminal's operations after recent slow years.

6 workers lose their lives as Pool 4A elevator explodes. Dust control finally becomes a serious concern. Mandatory safety regulations are created for dust control in the 1970s.

Canada Malting expands its operations with a new germinating building, kiln building, office building, and substation, giving it a distinct look among the other Lakehead terminals.

A small tidal wave is created as the silos slip off the foundation into the lake. The silos are rebuilt and reopened in 1961.

Searle and Federal Grain jointly buy the turning basin terminal. The elevator becomes Searle B. After only 4 years, the elevator will burn to the ground in 1969.

In their next takeover, Saskatchewan Wheat Pool buys the Empire Elevator and renames it Saskatchewan Wheat Pool 12.

As Paterson operations dwindle, Richardson leases the Fort William terminal to use as extra storage for its low-demand grains.

The workhouse was one of two original wooden terminal structures still standing in Thunder Bay. A year after the fire, the Empire’s concrete bins are also demolished. This event records the first use of dynamite for grain elevator demolition.

Adding to their collection of South End elevators, Saskatchewan Wheat Pool buys Consolidated (now Fort William Elevator E) and Fort William Elevator F, renaming them Pool 11 and Pool 10 respectively. Consolidated/Pool 11 will close down soon after in the late 1970s.

Saskatchewan Wheat Pool operates Westland D as Pool 17 for two years before closing the terminal for good. Saskatchewan Wheat Pool and Manitoba Pool Elevators jointly takeover the Searle Terminal, and the terminal is renamed Pool 15.

Previously known as UGG H, the terminal was operated by Alberta Wheat Pool at the time of its demolition. Manitoba Pool Elevators also operated the terminal as Pool 9. Richardson later built a pellet plant on this elevator site.

Manitoba Pool Elevators closes the historic terminal and dismantles the loading galleries. The concrete replacement for Thunder Bay's first terminal remains standing to this day.

New safety regulations make dust control improvements mandatory. The costly updates will force many smaller terminals across the waterfront to close down.

No exact date is known for when the turning basin elevator met its demise.

Unable to afford dust control upgrades after recently completing costly foundation renovations, Paterson Elevator is forced to close. The demolition is drawn out over the winter months and into the next year.

To match the branding of their Pioneer Grain country elevators, Richardson paints their terminals both in Thunder Bay and the West Coast a bright shade of orange and yellow.

The four units that once made up Western Grain’s operations are all demolished. Only the concrete slabs from the elevator’s wartime storage remain.

The terminal ships a whopping 606,000 tonnes over the 1983 year. Only four years later, the elevator will cease its grain operations.

Pool 10 gets new life after repairs in the late 1970s, reopening in 1983 as Western Grain By-Products and handling primarily niche, small-lot grains. The new Western Grain becomes the last operating elevator on the Upper Kam, closing only in recent years.

Riverside Grains briefly reopens the terminal and mill before closing again. A fire in 2001 leaves the elevator permanently closed and will lead to calls for the structure's demolition.

The last original wooden workhouse in Thunder Bay meets its end. The concrete silos remain standing.

Manitoba Pool Elevators and Alberta Wheat Pool merge to form a larger company in order to stay competitive in the grain industry. Around this time, Manitoba Pool 3 terminal closes on the waterfront.

United Grain Growers buys the joint Manitoba Pool Elevators and Alberta Wheat Pool co-operative to create the larger Agricore United.

After a bidding war with Richardson International, Saskatchewan Wheat Pool successfully buys Agricore United. The company changes its name to Viterra. Eventually, global conglomerate Glencore purchases Viterra and still operates its facilities on the waterfront.