INNISFAIL – After more than four decades of dominating the town's skyline, the Nestlé Purina PetCare’s mill tower is now fully demolished.
Unlike the past quarter-century demolitions of 70-foot tall country grain elevators that met their demise with quick topplings, the 120-foot tall Purina mill tower was instead methodically chewed away from the skyline by excavators.
The tower was totally gone by March 7, with only the site clean-up left for demolition workers.
"It's so sad to lose the skyline of the last remaining elevator-like structures," said one social media poster of the now demolished mill tower.
While many in Innisfail and area were mourning the loss of the structure and what it represented to the local economy, some were pleased with its demise.
"Although I recognize the sentimental and historical importance of this building for many it's also an industrial eyesore almost smack dab in the centre of town," said Innisfailian Tom Lindl in a social media post. "I didn't miss its aromatic emanations when production shut down, and I know I won't miss it as part of my backyard skyline once it is demolished.
"My apologies to those who have a history with it and perhaps made your livelihoods there," added the Innisfailian. "Hopefully something equally beneficial (but less smelly and unattractive) will take its place."
The actual full demolition of the Purina mill tower began in the third week of February following confirmation by the company in January that the demolition of the four-decade-old structure was imminent.
The mill tower has been sitting unused since the fall of 2015 when Nestlé Purina PetCare decided to shut down the plant’s manufacturing operations in favour of making Innisfail its western Canada distribution centre; a decision that resulted in the layoff of 44 employees.
A Purina spokesperson told the Albertan in January the reason for the mill tower’s demolition was because it had sat vacant for “many, many years” and there was no other reason for the tower’s continued use.
There was also concern the unused building could attract unwanted pests, said the spokesperson, adding the extra space will allow for more “efficiencies” for trucks coming onto the site.
According to local sources the plant was constructed in the mid-1970s by Western Pet Foods, which at that time was a division of United Grain Growers.
The plant was then sold to Nestlé Purina in 1988, and the manufacturing of pet food continued until 2015.
The facility then morphed into a 120,000 square-foot distribution centre for western Canada.
Purina currently has 34 employees at the Innisfail site.
