WINNIPEG, Oct. 23, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Thanks to a partnership with the University of Alberta Libraries, data on grain elevators in Canada collected by the Canadian Grain Commission beginning in 1912 is now freely available online. Fully searchable, digital copies of these records from 1912 to 1998 are openly accessible via the University of Alberta Libraries' website, Peel's Prairie Provinces.
These records contain lists of licensed elevators, their locations and capacity in western and eastern Canada.
Quick facts
- Peel's Prairie Provinces is a website dedicated to preserving western Canadian history and Canadian prairie culture. It features an online bibliography of books, pamphlets and other materials related to the development of the Prairies, as well as a searchable, full-text collection of many of these items.
- Digitization and hosting of the Canadian Grain Commission's print records was kindly provided by the University of Alberta Libraries.
- Grain Elevators in Canada was first published in 1912 and is one of the Canadian Grain Commission's oldest reports.
Quotes
"Grain Elevators in Canada is a window into the history of Prairie communities. The history and economy of the Prairies was linked to the grain trade. Many of the requests we get for information come from community historical societies, and data such as the number of elevators or who owned the local elevator can help historians better understand Prairie life."
Christine Wallmann
Technician, Information Resource Centre, Canadian Grain Commission
Associated links
Peel's Prairie Provinces : Grain Elevators in Canada http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/geic.html?locale=en
Canadian Grain Commission
The Canadian Grain Commission is the federal agency responsible for establishing and maintaining Canada's grain quality standards. Its programs result in shipments of grain that consistently meet contract specifications for quality, safety and quantity. The Canadian Grain Commission regulates the grain industry to protect producers' rights and ensure the integrity of grain transactions.
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta in Edmonton is one of Canada's top teaching and research universities, with an international reputation for excellence across the humanities, sciences, creative arts, business, engineering, and health sciences. Home to more than 39,000 students and 15,000 faculty and staff, the university has an annual budget of $1.7 billion and attracts nearly $450 million in sponsored research revenue. The U of A offers close to 400 rigorous undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs in 18 faculties on five campuses—including one rural and one francophone campus. The university has almost 250,000 alumni worldwide. The university and its people remain dedicated to the promise made in 1908 by founding president Henry Marshall Tory that knowledge shall be used for "uplifting the whole people."
SOURCE: Canadian Grain Commission
Dawn Bassett, Head, Information Resource Centre, Canadian Grain Commission, 204-983-0878, [email protected]; Peggy Sue Ewanyshyn, Digitization Librarian, University of Alberta Libraries, 780-492-0243, [email protected]
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