The Municipal Heritage elevator in Val Marie was built in 1927 and stands at the top of Centre Street. When it was constructed, it was one of a proud army of approximately 3,300 elevators in Saskatchewan.
In 2010, the number of crib-style wooden elevators left in Saskatchewan was barely a handful. Led by local resident Maurice Lemire, whose father was Val Marie’s first elevator agent, the Heritage, Culture and Youth Elevator Committee of Val Marie decided not to let our elevator follow the rest of its kind as time and neglect work their destruction.
The first step in the process of regeneration has been to restore the elevator’s exterior. This small community of about 137 people has been working to raise the $60,000 required for restoration costs. It has received a grant from Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation to help re-roof the building, and many fundraising initiatives are in place. This is one of them.
To contribute to the Val Marie Elevator, please contact the Village of Val Marie at Box 178, Val Marie, SK, S0N 2T0, 306-298-2022, vovm@valmarie.ca. Tax-deductible charitable donation receipts are available.
In 2018, the grade 12 students were assigned a project to dig deep into the roots of the Heritage Elevator here in the Village of Val Marie. Watch the video below to see the amazing job these kids did!
Follow this link to download the booklet that was put together through Heritage Saskatchewan in the summer of 2018 about the elevator here in Val Marie.