The Goderich Elevators

The Goderich Elevators. . In 1859, the Canada Company deeded land to the Buffalo and Lake Huron Railway for transportation and grain storage. By 1866, the first 60,000-bushel elevator was opened. In 1897, then owned by the Grand Trunk Railway, it burned to the ground. The railway had no interest in rebuilding but handed over the insurance money ($4800) and the building site, rebuilt the docks, and transported all new building material from Barrie for free., The Town of Goderich promoted a construction project by the firm of H. Moores and Co., and thus, the Goderich Elevator and Transit Company Ltd. was established. In 1898, a $100,000 wooden elevator was constructed by Jesse Tromanhauser employing over 100 men in the work. After a shaky start, the company declared its first dividend in 1903., Following another disastrous fire in 1905, steps were taken to build the first concrete elevator on the continent. It towered 150 feet tall and held some 500,000 bushels. Another, same size addition was built in 1910 and again in 1923, a third expansion, holding 1 million bushels, was constructed resting on 1200 piles driven into the bedrock below. Another 1 million bushel capacity was added in 1929, this time with 39 rounded bins., In 1973, the company acquired Upper Lakes Elevators, established in 1953. This was the same year it reached its highest ever capacity handling 690,000 metric tonnes of grain. The opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959 had assisted in the company's growth. In 1996, the company purchased the Canada Agra Dome across the harbour., As a result of the changing Agri-business landscape, the company was purchased by Parrish and Heimbecker Limited in 2012 and has since added truck loading and unloading facilities, roof conveyors, and a state of the art vessel loading system. This has prepared Goderich Elevators for the 21st century. ,