Description of Historic Place

The Alberta Wheat Pool Grain Elevator Site Complex is comprised of a single composite grain elevator with an attached office building and two warehouses, all located on roughly 0.14 acres of land near downtown Leduc. The grain elevator features a main elevator building with an annex, sheet metal siding, a cupola, and the word "LEDUC" painted in various places on each elevation. The two warehouses and the attached office are all simple, rectangular buildings, each sheathed in sheet metal.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Alberta Wheat Pool (A.W.P.) Grain Elevator Site Complex lies in its status as one of the last single composite, wood crib grain elevators constructed in Alberta. It also possesses heritage value for its general association with grain elevators - the primary means for rural Albertans to market and distribute grain throughout the twentieth century - and for its strong landmark and symbolic value.

The Alberta Wheat Pool Grain Elevator Site Complex at Leduc is a physical testament to the final style of design in wood crib grain elevator construction prior to the widespread building of concrete and steel grain terminals. Built in 1978, during the transitional period between these two building trends, the 3,050 tonne capacity grain elevator contains both traditional and more contemporary elements: the wood crib construction is typical of established methods of building, while the modern power train and distribution system, along with the ventilation and dust collection machinery, embody more recent innovations. It is one of the last grain elevators built in Alberta to manifest this marriage of traditional structure with more contemporary mechanisms. The building's single composite design, composed of a main grain elevator with a single attached cribbed annex, and modern machinery reflects the trend during this period toward larger and more efficient grain-handling facilities capable of moving larger quantities of grain to market more rapidly. The elevator, attached office building, and warehouses all typify the prairie vernacular industrial style of architecture; as such, this site is representative of similar elevator complexes of this period throughout western Canada.

The Alberta Wheat Pool Grain Elevator Site Complex expresses several of significant threads of local and provincial history. As the last elevator of many built in Leduc during the twentieth century, the site speaks to the continuing history of agriculture in this rich grain-producing region. The site also recalls the spirit of agrarian co-operation that led to the creation of the Alberta Wheat Pool and its highly significant role in the handling and marketing of provincial grain. A prominent local and provincial landmark, interrupting the horizontality of the Prairies with its monumental vertical thrust, and a symbol of Alberta's rich agricultural life - past and present - the Alberta Wheat Pool Grain Elevator Site Complex is an enduring icon of provincial history and identity.

Source: Alberta Culture and Community Spirit, Historic Resources Management Branch (File: Des. 2105)

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Alberta Wheat Pool Grain Elevator Site Complex include such features as:

Site:
- spatial relationship between grain elevator, auxiliary buildings, and railway track;
- trackside winch.

Grain elevator:
- mass, form, and style;
- deep concrete pile and grade beam foundations;
- corrugated metal roof;
- sheathing and sheet metal siding;
- paint colour, "LEDUC" painted in white on each of four elevations;
- traditional wooden crib construction;
- laminated #1 fir planking;
- weigh scales and hoppers;
- drive shed and doors;
- trackside platform and doors;
- fenestration pattern and style;
- wooden window frames, mullions, and transoms;
- spout on west elevation and frame works on east elevation to facilitate loading;
- deep steel tank installed in concrete serving as foundation for base of the two legs;
- original mechanisms, including two legs, two horizontal augers on top and bottom of annex, dust collection system on the north elevation, electric motor, man lift, and gerber wheel.

Office:
- mass, form, and style;
- floor plan;
- sheet metal sheathing;
- fenestration pattern and style;
- interior layered with sheathing, pre-finished plywood panelling and fir plywood floors.

Two warehouses:
- mass, form, and style;
- sheet metal sheathing.