Working grain elevator in Innisfail, Alberta.

A working grain elevator near Innisfail, Alberta.

Who would have thought that the ghostly forms of iconic defunct grain elevators would one day be rekindled?  Born and bread during the "hayday" of farming before modernization declared them obsolete, they once stood proudly on the prairies, little else towering above their majesty.  Many have succumb to time and redevelopment, but a few still remain.

Enter the Canada Malting Company, whose innovative ideas and outside-the-box business plans have saved ten of them from the fate of so many others.  Revitalized and refurbished, their stoic presence against the horizon once again reminds us of the proud heritage these elevators possess.  Not only has CMC come up with an innovative solution to their needs; they have also brought purpose back to relics time forgot. 

I think there is something here which most of us overlook.  Humanity; all of us, tend to like the new and shiny and discard anything rustic or lacking immediate appeal.  I understand this all too well as I myself tend to want to upgrade.  After all, who uses Gestetner machines any more, or still watches television on cathode ray tube sets?  As technology evolves we replace the outdated with the faster and better.  A new cell phone every other year or a computer with better processing abilities.  And who doesn't like a new car?

Our landfills are exploding with discarded equipment which has failed to appease its owners.  Yet there are those that strive to reanimate the dead.  Repairmen that value the quality once commonplace in ages past can bring the desolate back to life.  Mechanically inclined car enthusiasts that treasure antique autos are drawn to their restoration.  Who among us looks upon these refurbished beauties with disdain?  Turn of the century houses made new again, artwork from the masters displayed with extreme care, and even saving dying languages are still reminders that there is value in the old.

As I age there is a growing sense of importance in reclaiming history.  Whether for nostalgia or budgetary reasons, the value of the past seems to have grown in stature.  Maybe the Canada Malting Company is onto a good thing.  Refurbish, not replace.  The old made new again.  Thanks for being such a role model for the rest of us.