Alberta Wheat Pool A History of Agricultural Excellence

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Captivating silhouette of a wheat field during sunset, capturing rural tranquility.
Credit: pexels.com, Captivating silhouette of a wheat field during sunset, capturing rural tranquility.

Alberta Wheat Pool has a rich history that spans over a century. The company was founded in 1923 by a group of farmers who wanted to improve their wheat marketing and selling process.

The Alberta Wheat Pool was formed as a result of a growing need for a more efficient and effective way to market and sell wheat. This need was driven by the fact that farmers were often at the mercy of middlemen who would take advantage of them and pay them low prices for their wheat.

The company's early years were marked by significant growth and expansion, with the number of members increasing from 1,500 to over 30,000 in just a few years. This growth was largely due to the company's commitment to fairness and transparency in its business practices.

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History

The Alberta Wheat Pool was an agricultural co-operative created in 1923 with its head offices in Calgary. The Pool was formed after plummeting grain prices forced farmers to sell their product at prices lower than their cost of production.

For your interest: Pool Prices

Credit: youtube.com, Alberta Wheat Pool (1986)

The Alberta Wheat Pool was the first farmer's co-operative on the Canadian Prairies. Initially, 26,000 farmers joined the organization, each contributing $1 per share.

The Pool's first three grain elevators were built in 1925 at Leo, Naco, and Esther, along the CNR line. Only Esther's elevator remains standing today.

By 1965, the Pool owned and operated 538 country elevators. It took over 400 more from the Federal Grain Company Ltd. in 1972.

Here's a list of some of the key elevators built or acquired by the Alberta Wheat Pool:

  • Dawson Creek #2 elevator (built in 1947)
  • Dawson Creek #3 elevator (constructed in 1966)
  • Fort St. John #1 elevator (consisted of a 74,000 bushel elevator and a 57,500 bushel crib annex)
  • Pouce Coupe elevator (constructed by Elevator Builders Limited in 1952)

In 1996, the sales of the Alberta Wheat Pool amounted to $2.1 billion. Its assets were $625 million, and it had 1,366 employees.

The Alberta Wheat Pool and the Manitoba Pool merged to form Agricore Cooperative Limited in 1998.

Grain Elevators

The Alberta Wheat Pool made significant investments in grain elevators to support the growth of the agricultural industry. In 1924-25, the Pool started a 2 cent/bushel deduction to finance grain elevator construction.

Credit: youtube.com, Mayerthorpe, Alberta | Historic Grain Elevator | Alberta Wheat Pool

The Pool's first three grain elevators were Leo, Esther, and Sedalia. Alberta Wheat Pool Elevators Limited was formed in 1926 to take over these elevators.

By the 1926-27 crop year, the Pool operated 42 elevators. In the same year, the Pool bought 41 grain elevators at an average cost of $10,140.

Here's a breakdown of the number of elevators operated by the Pool each year:

The Pool started constructing a terminal elevator in Vancouver, BC in late 1927. The Alberta Pool Terminal No. 1, with a 2,000,000 bushel capacity, was finished in the fall of 1928 and the first ship (Cragpool) loaded on October 9th, 1928.

Alberta Wheat Pool

The Alberta Wheat Pool was an agricultural co-operative created in 1923 with its head offices in Calgary. It was formed after plummeting grain prices forced farmers to sell their product at prices lower than their cost of production.

The Pool was the first farmer's co-operative on the Canadian Prairies, with 26,000 farmers initially joining the organization. Each member contributed $1 per share, which was later refunded.

Credit: youtube.com, Alberta Wheat Pool Grain Elevator Bin Move

In its early years, the Pool partnered with companies like Alberta Pacific Grain and United Grain Growers to process deliveries through their facilities. The Pool built its first three grain elevators at Leo, Naco, and Esther in 1925.

By 1965, the Pool owned and operated 538 country elevators, and it took over 400 more from the Federal Grain Company Ltd. in 1972. This made the Pool the second largest co-operative in Western Canada.

The Pool's facilities at Dawson Creek handled 30,186,583 bushels between the crop years 1930-31 and 1971-72. The lowest handling year was 1930-31 at only 34,985 bushels.

In 1996, the sales of the Alberta Wheat Pool amounted to $2.1 billion, including grain purchased for and delivered to the Canadian Wheat Board.

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Antoinette Cassin

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Antoinette Cassin is a seasoned copy editor with over a decade of experience in the field. Her expertise lies in medical and insurance-related content, particularly focusing on complex areas such as medical malpractice and liability insurance. Antoinette ensures that every piece of writing is clear, accurate, and free of legal and grammatical errors.

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