Summary information
| Repository: | South Peace Regional Archives |
| Title: | United Grain Growers Local #423 fonds |
| Reference code: | 0183 |
| Date: | 1985 (date of creation) |
| Physical description: | 0.5 cm textual records |
| Dates of creation, revision and deletion: | Processing archivist and date unknown. Added to new database November 2025 – TD |
Administrative history / Biographical sketch
The first listing of grain delivery points on the E.D. & B.C. Railway is for the crop year 1915-1916 when there were only three on the line: High Prairie, Spirit River, and Bon Accord. Sexsmith first appeared in 1916-1917 with two companies on the market—Gillespie Elevator Company and Alberta Pacific. United Grain Growers was built in 1925 to be the third elevator at Sexsmith.
U.G.G. opened for grain on August 6, 1925 with Manager R.H. Baker in charge. He continued as manager until July 8, 1940. Unusual for those years, a flat type of balloon annex was added in 1928. A wartime emergency storage annex was built in 1940 to store grain which could not be moved overseas under restricted ocean shipping due to the war. In 1952, a new elevator was built next to the 1925 one and the latter converted to an annex. A second U.G.G. elevator at Sexsmith came by purchase of all assets of Midland and Pacific Grain Company in February 1954. This elevator had a short life as U.G.G. as it was destroyed by fire on November 13, 1961. A third elevator was purchased from Canada West Grain Company in July 1961 some 5 months before the fire. This plant had large capacity (147,000 bushels) consisting of the elevator and three annexes. A new elevator was built next to it in 1964 with the old Canada West converted to a permanent annex.
The U.G.G. Local #423 was formed in March 1926 and the first board consisted of Alfred Ward, W. Spry, W. Alexander, R.J. Higginson, A. Abrahamsen, and H.A. Tuffill. From the beginning the venture was a success.
Custodial history
The records were preserved by the Sexsmith Museum and deposited in Grande Prairie Regional Archives in 2004.
Scope and content
The fonds consists of a written history of U.G.G. in Sexsmith compiled by D.H. Fraser in 1985. It includes a list of the U.G.G. managers at Sexsmith from 1925 to 1985, a list of the Chairmen, Secretaries, and other members who were involved with Local #423, and some newspaper articles regarding the opening of the 1964 elevator.
Notes
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title of fonds based on contents.
Access points
- Textual record (documentary form)
- Business (subject)
- Agriculture (subject)
- Organizations (subject)