At the southern end of Waterdown, where Main Street meets Snake Road near the unique humpbacked bridge over the railway line, large concrete grain silos stood until 1983.
A landmark from the 1940s, they were built by Francis Griffin on land he rented from the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. They were used to store Western grain during drought years in Ontario when local crops were not producing adequately. Canadian Packers sponsored the Association of Feed Grain Dealers to solve the problems caused by a shortage of feed grains. After the Second World War, Roy Game Feeds built a small building next to them but it was demolished in 1964.
The silos were no longer used after the late 1950s and became a focus for graffiti and a hazard to the intrepid teenagers who attempted to climb them. At the request of local residents, CPR demolished the grain silos in February 1983. CPR had lost the records and did not know who the owner was. The $12,000 contract was awarded to Aldershot Contractors Equipment Rental Ltd. and work was carried out at CP expense, although the railway was not the builder or owner of the long-abandoned silos.
While the loss was more nostalgic than anything else, it was mostly felt by people who could no longer give directions to "turn just past the grain elevators".
The Flamborough Heritage Society’s next meeting is Thursday November 28, 8:00 pm at Grace Anglican Church, 157 Mill Street North, Waterdown. Our guest speaker will be Christopher Redford, City of Hamilton Heritage Presentation Co-ordinator, talking about the Hamilton & Scourge Historical Site. Admission is free, refreshments will be available and all are welcome.
