Grain Elevators

Rising above the landscape, the grain elevator heralds a time when wheat was king across the West. At their zenith, 5,758 of these prairie giants defined the economy and skyline of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

While many still stand, every year their numbers dwindle. Sometimes these towering signposts are all that is left of a town or hamlet once built around them. In this breathtaking photo collection, award-winning photographer Chris Attrell captures the haunting presence of those that remain to stand guard over an ever-changing agrarian lifestyle.

EVOCATIVE

"Chris Attrell has gone well beyond simply documenting the Canadian grain elevator. His evocative images show these aging prairie sentinels as monuments to a way of life that has mostly disappeared."

— STEVE BOYKO, author, photographer, creator of Grain Elevators of Canada, www.grainelevators.ca

ICONIC

"Chris Attrell has captured the spirit of these iconic structures, offering a compelling glimpse of prairie heritage. Visually captivating, his photographs serve as an important documentary record of one of Canada's most endangered buildings."

— KRISTIN CATHERWOOD, folklorist and Heritage Saskatchewan's Director of Living Heritage

STATUESQUE

"Nothing embodies the prairies more than open skies, dirt roads, and those tall, horizon gracing sentinels. Chris captures the statuesque nature of grain elevators that are unfortunately fading from our country's landscapes. He has an eye for expertly

documenting the views that we have come to know and recognize before they are taken by wind, fire, or time."

— MISHEYLA IWASIUK, photographer

Chris Attrell is the author of the bestselling book, Forgotten Saskatchewan, the most popular photo book in Canada for 2019. His work has been featured in the National Post, Galleries West Magazine, The Weather Network, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Calgary Herald, Fine Lifestyles Magazine, Prairie Post and CBC Saskatchewan. Exhibits of his work have been shown in galleries across the Prairies.

 Hanlon is the bestselling author of Old Winnipeg, Out of Old Manitoba Kitchens, co-author of The Manitoba Book of Everything, and curator/writer for Everything Manitoba: The Ultimate Book of Lists.