Northern Alberta grain elevator designated a historic resource

EDMONTON -- The Alberta Wheat Pool Grain Elevator in the Town of Sexsmith has been designated a municipal historic resource by the province.

The announcement was made on Thursday.

Thanks to the new designation, the elevator is now eligible for grants from the province, the County of Grande Prairie, and the GP Rotary Club, which will make it possible to repaint the building and replace the roof.

Alberta Wheat Pool built the elevator in 1961, and received an extension in 1978. In 2004, it was purchased by the Sexmith & District Museum Society and the Town of Sexsmith signed a 20-year lease on the land from Canadian National.

It still has all of its original fixtures and furnishings.

The Sexsmith & District Museum Society said the elevator is the only mid-20th century elevator in Peace River County with a chance of survival. There are two other grain elevators in the county, in Hines Creek and Klnuso, but without funding, it wouldn’t be possible to restore the elevators, and they will continue to deteriorate, according to the society.

There are several elevators in central and southern Alberta that have also received the historical designation, but this is the only one in northern Alberta.

Sexsmith is about 465 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.