Perhaps one of the most iconic features of the small, rural communities that dot the prairies is the grain elevator. They were used to store and transport grain and served as a hub for farmers, as well as social and commercial activity.
    In recognition of the importance of the grain elevator, the province of Alberta has designated the one in Big Valley, one of the last wood-cribbed elevators left standing, as a Provincial Historic Resource as of September 28.
    The process to receive the designation began several years ago.
    “We weren’t sure it could be a historic site, because it’s a 1960’s elevator. We thought it was too new. When someone from the government came here to inspect our 1916 church, she took a look at the elevator and suggested putting in the paperwork for the building. She said it was a wood elevator and one of the last of the old style,” said Lois Miller, a Big Valley Village Councillor and member of the Big Valley Historic Society.
    The hope is the designation will open up opportunities for grant money to put towards maintenance of the building.
    “The big thing is, now it's designated as a historic resource, we can get grants from the government to help pay for what we need to do. Otherwise, we would have been on our own,” said Allan Johnston, president of the Historic Society. “We’ve already paid $30,000 a couple times to get the elevator painted. It’s 105 feet high!”
    The elevator was purchased by the Historic Society from the Alberta Wheat Pool in 1999. The Wheat Pool had plans to demolish the building.
    Since then the Historic Society has done their best to preserve everything as best they could. The result is one of the last and most authentic grain elevators in Alberta.
    “We’re proud of it still being an elevator. We had a couple tourists from England who said they had been to quite a few and they were glad ours was still an elevator inside,” said Miller. “It’s still 100 per cent an elevator and could be fired up if you put the engines back in.”
    The elevator was built in 1960 by the Alberta Wheat Pool. At the time, hundreds existed across the prairies, with many communities boasting rows of them.

    This month the Alberta beef industry was dealt a blow, and the effect continues to reverberate.
    Early in September American and Canadian officials detected E. coli. By September 16 a recall of ground beef products was introduced and the list of affected products keeps growing.
    Last week the US banned the importation of Alberta beef. As well, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) suspended the operation of the Brooks plant of XL Foods.
    Last Friday local grocers pulled beef products tied to XL Foods recall off the shelf.  
    Darryl Jacques, manager of Freson Bros. IGA in Drumheller said he has seen customers staying away from some products.
    “It has slowed down a bit,” said Jacques, adding that consumers can help protect themselves by using best food preparation practices.
    “The thing about E. coli is to cook your meat properly and do not cross contaminate. That is something we should all be aware of at all times, not just at times of heightened alert.”
    The Drumheller Co-op’s main supplier is XL Foods, and on Friday all of its fresh beef was pulled from the shelf.    
    Before this, manager Gordon Van Kannel said  the store had not seen a whole lot of impact from the initial  recalls.
    “We have been providing the customers  with as much information as we can, and directing them to the (CFIA) website,” he said.
    “Customer confidence and food safety are going to be the real issue here, they have to ensure that every product  leaving that plant is food safe."
    He adds that if the recall continues, the Co-op could  look to other suppliers.
    “That has yet to be decided right now,” said Van Kannel. “But it could change because we have to maintain a counter.”
    The turmoil in the industry has producers concerned.
    “It puts a hindrance on the market and scares people away from beef for a while, but I hope it comes back,” said Brad McDougald, an area producer.
    “A few years ago there was Listeria, but people went back to eating meat again, North Americans love their beef.”
    He said the solution is simple and that is for XL Foods to clean up their act.
    “Hopefully XL Foods takes the steps they need to do to rebuild confidence in people that they are doing the proper cleaning procedures,” said McDougald. “It is all at the packing plant, it’s not the beef, it’s the machines and the cleaning procedures.”
    He hopes this sorts out quickly.
    “The actual solving of the problem at the packing plant is probably already fixed. It shouldn’t take long to clean the machines and shut it down. Now it has to go through all the political hoops and the public scrutiny to have people believe it’s safe and get back to eating beef.”
    “I think it will come back around,” he said.
    In the meantime Michelle Ahner of Riverside Packers said they have seen an increase in business  since the recall.
    She said if the recall continues, consumers may be more concerned about where their food is coming from.            “I could see them leaning toward  the smaller  places and the local farmers,” she said.