On Nov. 14, the Evergreen Centre hosted Noble Vators, a photography presentation of country grain elevators, many of which have been torn down.
Johnnie Bachusky of Bowden conducted the approximately one-hour show, featuring 36 photos -- just some of the elevator photos he has taken over the years.
"They're all classic. They're not the newer models that were made in the '80s," Bachusky said, noting 34 of the 36 were built in the 1920s and 1930s.
Jim Pearson, who wrote Vanishing Sentinels, one of several books he has penned about grain elevators over the years, provided detailed commentary on each photo. Bachusky has taken some pictures for Pearson's books.
At one time, more than 5,000 grain elevators were located in communities across Western Canada. However, especially in the 1990s, they were torn down, sold to farmers or simply allowed to fall apart; and were replaced by huge higher-capacity concrete facilities, generally located much farther afield.
From 2004 to 2009, Bachusky embarked on a project to photograph every single remaining grain elevator in the Prairie provinces as well as some in B.C. and Ontario.
"It's not a hobby; it's more than a joy. It's an absolute passion; finding old, very old country grain elevators throughout Western Canada and beyond," Bachusky said.
Most of the photos shown during the presentation were of elevators that stood (or still are standing) in the West, with a few located in Manitoba and B.C.
None of those that once stood in Olds were shown. Johnnie says he did take some photos of Olds elevators but just didn't think to include them in this presentation.
However, he and Pearson did show a photo of an elevator located at Rowley, located about an hour due east of Olds.
Bachusky told the audience his passion to record vanishing grain elevators grew over the years out of his fascination with ghost towns.
He and Pearson showed photos of elevators that date back as far as 1895.
Bachusky said in the early 1930s in Alberta there were about 1,700 wooden grain elevators. Now there are only about 110. There were once about 3,000 wooden ones Saskatchewan; now there are only 428.
He said Manitoba once had about 750 wooden elevators. Today only about 150 remain. Bachusky said B.C. may have had 30 or so at one time. Now only a handful remain.
Pearson and Bachusky even showed a few photos of elevators in Ontario. Bachusky said there may have been up to 50 there at one time.
One photo showed an elevator that had a mural on it paying tribute to country elevators.
"It's almost spiritual to see it," Bachusky said.
Some of Pearson's books on grain elevators were displayed on a table, along with many tiny card stock replicas of grain elevators.
The audience was invited to come up and take a look at the books and the elevator replicas. Olds residents Marjorie Kehoe and Marvin Lohr were among those who did so.
Lohr farmed in the Stettler area. He was interested to see the slide show, but the loss of the old elevators didn't appear to bother him all that much.
"I mean, they served their purpose," he said. "But their day has come and gone."
Kehoe enjoyed seeing the photos.
"They even had one from Creston, (B.C.)," she said. "I grew up around Nelson so I know the Creston one."
