Visit the Inglis Grain Elevators National Historic Site in Manitoba

A short roadtrip through the Parkland Region of Manitoba

I was in the town of Dauphin, Manitoba on a work trip doing safety presentations at local schools, and rather than sit in a hotel watching TV when the school finished for the day, I decided to take a little road trip out to the Inglis Grain Elevators National Historic Site, which was just about an hour and a half away by car. 

 The western part of Manitoba where these towns are located is called the Parkland Region, and it is mostly rural, with lots of farms and small communities, along with nature areas like Asessippi Provincial Park and Riding Mountain National Park. 

As a Canadian from Southern Ontario, I was interested in learning more about life out in rural farming communities in this part of the province and the Inglis Grain Elevators are listed as one of the top 10 historic architecture sites in Manitoba, according to the Inglis Elevators website.

So I jumped in my rental car with three hours of daylight left, for a short road trip from Dauphin to Inglis, with additional stops in the communities of Gilbert Plains and Russell. 

This article will explain how and when to visit the Inglis Grain Elevators National Historic Site, along with some other fun attractions in the Parkland Region of Manitoba. 

Contents

1. Where is the Inglis Grain Elevators National Historic Site
2. History of the Inglis Grain Elevators
3. When to visit the Inglis Grain Elevators
4. Visit the town of Russell
5. Drive to Saskatchewan
6. Visit Gilbert the Golf Ball in Gilbert Plains

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Where is the Inglis Grain Elevators National Historic Site ?

This historic site is located in the community of Inglis, Manitoba about three kilometres off  of Highway 83, between the towns of Russell and Roblin. The closest major population centre in Manitoba is the town of Dauphin, which is 110 kilometres, or a 1 hour and 15 minute drive away. From the other direction coming from Saskatchewan, the closest large town is Yorkton, which is also 105 kilometres or a 1 hour and 15 minute drive away. 

How far is the Inglis Grain Elevators National Historic Site from Winnipeg ? 

Inglis is about 375 kilometres or a four hour drive from the city of Winnipeg. So it is a bit far for a day trip, but a reasonable distance for a weekend visit to the Parkland Region, which also features a number of other heritage sites, along with outdoor activities like fishing, hunting and camping.

History of the Inglis Grain Elevators

There were once more than 7000 of these wooden structures across the Prairies to load and sort grain next to the rail line. From the 1970s, the grain elevators were replaced by concrete structures and the preserved elevators in Inglis are a reminder of the ‘golden age’ of Canadian grain production. 

The site features the last remaining row of five vintage grain elevators, which date from 1922-1941. The Reliance building is an example of the more unusual double elevator design and contains a restored agent’s office. The United Grain Growers elevator was originally a farmer’s cooperative and the National Elevator contains an office and coal storage shed. 

The Paterson elevator now acts as the visitor reception area with informative displays, and there are washroom facilities and a gift shop available here as well. There are also informational displays located outdoors for visitors who arrive outside of official opening times. 

When to visit the Inglis Grain Elevators

Visitors can access the site at any time of the year to walk around and parking is always available. Guided tours and access to the exhibits and displays inside the buildings is from 12 noon to 6pm daily from the end of May to the beginning of September. You can confirm opening hours and tour times before your visit on the Inglis Elevators website here.

Tips for your visit

• Photographers might enjoy visiting in the winter to get the contrast of the buildings against the white snow, rather than green grass in the summer. 

• You should bring actual snowboots to walk around the site in the winter time since the snow can be quite deep. 

• Visitors who are interested in the history should plan a visit in the summer or during opening hours, as guided tours are available from June to September. 

• If you visit in the off-season, you can can download a self guided walking tour here on the Inglis Elevator website.

Visit the town of Russell

From Inglis, it only another twenty minutes down the road to the small town of Russell, Manitoba which is known for the decorative steel arches that cross over the main street, and the annual ‘Beef and Barley’ Festival held in October.

You can also stop by the Russell Visitor Information Centre, which is just off of highway 83 to see the statue of Arthur the Bull, which is the official town mascot. 

There is a picnic area and a ‘Welcome to Manitoba’ sign located here, since the town is so close to the Saskatchewan border. The tourism office is open daily from May Long weekend to Labour Day and with limited days and hours for the rest of the year. 

For visitors who are particularly interested in the history of the area, you can do a self driving tour of various historic homes, churches, heritage buildings and nature sites in the area using a guide from the tourism association which you can read here.

Drive into Saskatchewan

If you’ve never been to the province of Saskatchewan, this is your chance to go as it is only another 20 kilometres or a twenty minute drive west of Russell. There is a smaller ‘Welcome to Saskatchewan’ sign bedside the highway and an area to pull over and take pictures, but otherwise the landscape looks exactly the same as the Manitoba side of the border. There is lots to explore throughout Saskatchewan if you have the time, but if you cross the border near Russell, there are not any particular attractions besides the sign, so it is more for the novelty of visiting another province, if you have never been before.

Visit Gilbert the Golf Ball in Gilbert Plains

If you are arriving in Inglis from the north-east or from Dauphin, you can make a stop just off of Highway 5 in the town of Gilbert Plains to see a statue of the town mascot, Gilbert the Golf Ball. Gilbert’s golf club looks suspiciously like a hockey stick, and this is definitely one of the funnier town mascot statues in the province. 

You can actually play golf in town at the Gilbert Plains Golf and Country Club which has an 18 hole golf course and there is also a small museum and Gilbert Plains Visitor Centre which is only open during the summer months. 

For visitors with an interest in history, there is a nearby heritage farm complex called the Negrych Pioneer Homestead, which is considered to be one of the best-preserved examples of Ukrainian style farmstead buildings in Canada. It is a designated National Historic site and guided tours are available upon request from the Gilbert Plains & District Historical Society. 

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