Reliance Twin Elevators
The double elevator complex in the middle of the row demonstrates the many changes that occurred in the management of grain throughout the years.
The smaller of the two elevators was built in 1922 by Matheson-Lindsay, between the UGG and Paterson elevators. It was later sold to Province Elevator, which became Reliance in the 1930s. In 1941, Reliance added its second and the newest elevator of the five. The complex was sold to Manitoba Pool in 1952, and finally to UGG in 1971.
The smaller of the two elevators has a distinct lean towards the tracks caused by the weight of the grain being loaded too much to one side. When fully loaded, the weight of grain in an elevator bin compressed the wood as much as three feet. If an agent didn’t load all of the bins evenly, some structural damage could occur.
The agent’s office belonging to the twin elevators is also restored. The Reliance office is different from the traditional design, as it has two separate rooms. These rooms are important feature of these elevators, because prior to electric power brought to Inglis in 1949, diesel engines were used to run the power and were housed in these offices, away from the elevators, for fire safety reasons.
The Reliance office is joined to the elevator by a catwalk. The office has an upper floor, where the agent worked, while the lower portion housed the Rouston-Hornsby diesel engine, which powered the belt driven leg.
