Names That Stick

CP's afternoon Current River job's first task is to pull and spot Viterra C, although in this image its not immediately obvious which elevator is Viterra C. Radio chatter from the crew acknowledges they are at "ugga", but the Agricore United label adorns the bins. To explain this convoluted bit of names lets talk about the quick succession of mergers of grain companies which happened in the early 2000s.

 

Built originally in 1927 as United Grain Growers A House (or U.G.G.A.) and known as "ugga" for years until United Grain Growers were taken over by Agricore United (AU) in 2001. Late in 2006 AU was the target of takeover bids from SaskPool and James Richardsons & Sons(JRI). Although a merger announcement was made between AU and JRI in Feb 2007, SaskPool was able to sway the tide with a successful bidding war and their offer was accepted in June 2007 and on August 31, 2007, Agricore United and SaskPool rebranded itself as Viterra.

 

The Agricore chapter of this elevator was short but long enough to have it branded as such. Within months of this shot Viterra will put its brand on this elevator, listing it as Viterra "C" (A and B being down in Intercity). In 2009, Viterra would shutter this elevator and would remain so until late 2012 when Glencore International took over Viterra resulting in James Richardsons & Sons purchasing this facility. JRI soon reopened it and as of this posting in 2023 the elevator is operated as overflow for the bigger Richardsons Terminal next door. It is now known on paper as the Current River Elevator however crews still refer to it as "ugga"- some two decades after United Grain Growers was ever a thing. Even though it may be hard to break a century old habit, it's amazing how names stick.

 

UC21-27

CP 1522-1640-1574

Current River, CP Nipigon Sub

Thunder Bay, Ontario

June 27, 2008

Done