WINNIPEG – Jean McManus never set out to take a picture of every grain elevator in the province.
In fact the retired cardiac nurse was originally on the hunt for a single ‘perfect photo’ of one of Manitoba’s more iconic images, the grain elevator.
“I was looking for a grain elevator with the tracks coming out of the corners, because grain elevators are inherently connected with the train tracks,” McManus said.
It was all part of a 2014 contest launched by Canad Inns, where the local hotelier was looking for beauty shots of Manitoba.
It intrigued both the budding photographer and her husband, who’s hobby is navigation, GPS and research.
“He mapped out every grain elevator in the province,” McManus said of her husbands efforts. While she eventually when on to win the contest, and see her photo showcased in the lobby of one of the hotels, they decided they couldn’t stop with just the one. “He had done all this work and I couldn’t insult him by quitting!”
Over the last 18 months they have taken a photo of almost every grain elevator in Manitoba, snapping 160 different pictures in 132 cities and towns.
“It’s a wonderful way to see the province,” Tighe McManus said.
And it’s captured the attention of the Manitoba Historical Society, which is working on it’s own project to document the history of every grain elevator in Manitoba.
McManus had her own criteria for her project. She only captured wooden elevators.
“The ones I don’t include….are with the inland cement terminals,” McManus said. “Those will be the nostalgia for the future.”
The duo aren’t done yet. While they believe they have a photo of every grain elevator connected to the rail lines, they know there might be more out there. They also want to capture the spots where elevators once stood.
McManus and her work were recently featured on Focus Manitoba, which airs 6:30 Saturday and Sunday evenings.
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