Panama Pacific Grain Terminal

In 1928 the City of Victoria was anticipating a boom in global sales of Canadian Wheat. The city commissioned the Panama Pacific Grain Terminals, with the stipulation that no Oriental labour would be used, to construct and operate a $500,000 grain terminal at Ogden Point. The terminal consisted of 22 concrete storage bins, each 93 feet high and with a combined capacity of one million bushels of grain. The terminal was serviced by Canadian National Railway.

Initially the project appeared to be a bust. In 1938 the Panama company pulled out leaving the elevators sat empty between 1942 and 1947. The city sold its “white elephant” to a private operator for $200,000 in 1952. Then the much-promised boom occurred became very busy, particularly when Vancouver dockworkers were on strike. By 1966, Victoria’s elevators were moving 11.5 million bushels per year.

Vancouver increased its grain-handling capacity and efficiency, and in 1976 the the Alberta Wheat Pool, owners of the Victoria facility decided to close it for good. In February of 1978 a wrecking ball tore down the elevators, and today all that occupies the site are parking lots and docks for cruise ships.