From a peak of 1,755 in 1933, it’s estimated close to 100 of Alberta’s historic grain elevators remain standing, and Nanton came very close to losing three of its own when they were decommissioned in March 2001. “The demolition permit was signed, and they were hours away from being bulldozed,” said Leo Wieser, president of the town’s Canadian Grain Elevator Discovery Centre Society. “These are very important cultural icons; Prairie cathedrals that are so important to western Canadians.”

As Canada’s two national rail companies—Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) and Canadian National Railway (CN)—competed to purchase American rail line Kansas City Southern (KCS), Canada’s agriculture sector stood to benefit from the deal.