While in Thunder Bay, I paid a visit to the former Saskatchewan Wheat Pool 4A and 4B elevators on Shipyard Road by the waterfront. I have no idea which elevator is 4A and which is 4B. I went in both and climbed onto the roof of the red one. It’s possible to climb the white one, too, but the owners have removed all the metal landings in the stairwell, which means you have to climb over each railing all the way up. Since I was carrying a backpack full of gear, a camera, and tripod, I opted for the easier climb.
To be clear, the fact that the grain elevators are abandoned doesn’t mean that entering them stops being a trespass. But given that the elevators are visually arresting, trespass seems like a minor matter.
My guide was Ben, an almost graduated student in Lakehead University’s outdoor education program. We talked about the possibility of setting up a tour business that would take groups to explore abandoned spaces. Apart from the fact that such a business would be illegal and uninsurable, it seems like a good idea.
Earlier in the month, Ben took my daughter’s friend on the same tour. She wore flip flops. I would advise against wearing flip flops. In offices, like the one shown below, the floor is littered with broken glass and soggy bits of ceiling tile. In the grain elevator, the floor is covered in bird shit and carcasses, wet grain, and moss.
There were moments when we stumbled on scenes of industrial beauty. It’s strange how something so repulsive can simultaneously be so compelling.
There is something eerie about entering into a cavernous space like this. Stories haunt it. Once, workers shouted down the corridors. Machines rumbled the floors. Now, everything is still except the wind blowing through empty window frames. My footsteps violate the silence.
Part way up the red elevator, we crossed covered catwalks to the white elevator where we found rows of broken conveyor belts stretching the length of the building.
On the roof (as you’d expect) we had a stunning view of the harbour. On either side of elevators 4A and 4B are active facilities receiving grain by rail and loading it onto ships for transport through the Great Lakes and beyond.
It was common to see bird bits scattered on the ground.
A view down the stairwell of the red tower.
See more photos on flickr.
stunning Dave! I always wondered what it was like inside. Stunning photos
My father worked in that elevator complex in the 1970s. I’ll show him these pics, see if he recognizes any places in it.
That’s great. I’d love to hear if he does.