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In 1882, Norman M. Paterson is born in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Paterson and family, Norman M. Paterson on upper left.
Norman M. Paterson constructed his first grain elevator in 1912, known as elevator “K”. Elevator “K” was one of the very first hospital elevators in Canada.
In 1915 Norman M. Paterson purchased his first ship, a steamship called the D.R. Van Allen. This ship was used to haul off-grade grain to Paterson’s facility for drying.
In October of 1920, workers pose for a photograph during the construction of N.M. Paterson and Company's terminal in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
By 1925, Norman M. Paterson owned 97 grain elevators located across the country and had become one of the largest grain merchants in Canada.
The construction of N.M. Paterson Limited’s grain elevator in Fort William, Ontario is shown in this June 1927 photograph.
One of the few works of expansion during the Great Depression was the 1,700,000 grain bushel storage annex constructed at Fort William, Ontario in 1930.
Norman McLeod Paterson, at the time of his appointment to the Senate of Canada in 1940.
Paterson makes the transition from the grain business to the war effort. Norman M. Paterson made his company’s shipping fleet and crew available to the Government of Canada for use in hauling materials for the Second World War.
Norman M. Paterson’s business took a costly hit during the Second World War, losing 15 ships and 70 dedicated crewmen.
With the addition of Norman M. Paterson’s sons, John and Donald Paterson, the company adopted a new name – N.M. Paterson & Sons Limited.
Throughout the “growth years” of the 1950’s and 1960’s, N.M. Paterson & Sons Limited continued to demonstrate its long-standing commitment to Canadian farmers and Canadian agriculture by expanding its network of grain elevators throughout the Canadian prairies.
In 1976, in Orkney, Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool announced it planned to shut down the town’s only grain elevator. The local farmers lined up to demonstrate their loyalty to N.M. Paterson & Sons Limited.
On August 11th, 1983, only eight days after his 100th birthday, Senator Norman M. Paterson died peacefully in his home in Ottawa, Ontario. Norman’s passing was a great loss to the Canadian business world, and the Mayor of Thunder Bay, Ontario expressed the thoughts of many Canadians in describing him as one of “the great captains of industry in this country.”
By 1984 N.M. Paterson & Sons Limited’s grain division was operating 78 country elevators located at 60 different locations across the Canadian prairies, with a total combined storage capacity of 235,580 tonnes.
In 1992, Norman Paterson’s grandson Andrew B. Paterson launched the first “Inland Export Terminal” in Indian Head, Saskatchewan. This revolutionary concept allowed for the cleaning of grain on the prairies rather than at seaport. Completion of this facility marked the beginning of Paterson’s consecutive construction of nine (9) separate inland export terminals, all of which are located at key locations across the Canadian prairies and each includes a minimum rail load out capability of 112 cars.
In 1996, Paterson Grain commenced construction of its Morris, Manitoba inland export terminal. Paterson Grain strategically built its Morris, Manitoba terminal within the town’s “ring dike”. This forethought proved instantly beneficial as the terminal survived the 1997 “flood of the century” unscathed.
In 1998, N.M. Paterson & Sons Limited created its own trucking company, Truck Freight International, for the handling and transportation of bulk agriculture commodities. This photograph shows the first truck included in Truck Freight International’s fleet.
N.M. Paterson & Sons Limited continued to expand its presence across the Canadian prairies by constructing new, fully modernized inland grain terminals. In 1999, PTC Construction Ltd. (a subsidiary company of Paterson GlobalFoods Inc.) finished building N.M. Paterson & Sons Limited’s new Winnipeg inland export grain terminal located in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
To reflect its presence in the global agri-business marketplace, N.M. Paterson & Sons Limited changed its name to Paterson GlobalFoods Inc. in 2005. Paterson Grain remains a division of this parent corporation.
In 2008, PTC Construction Ltd. (a subsidiary of Paterson GlobalFoods Inc.) completed construction of Paterson Grain’s new 28,000 tonne inland export terminal in Assiniboia, Saskatchewan. This terminal is equipped with two separate receiving driveways and is fully capable of loading a 130 car unit train in less than 8 hours.
PTC Construction Ltd. (a subsidiary of Paterson GlobalFoods Inc.) completed the construction of Paterson Grain’s Long Plain inland export terminal in Gleichen, Alberta. This facility features an innovative 134 car rail loop track design which allows for the fastest train loading times ever seen on the Canadian prairies.
In 2012, PTC Construction Ltd. (a subsidiary of Paterson GlobalFoods Inc.) built two separate large scale bin expansion projects. The Killarney, Winnipeg and Dunmore terminals each received the addition of four large steel grain storage bins which increased the storage capacity of each terminal by over 32,000 tonnes.
In time for the bountiful Fall harvest of 2013, PTC Construction Ltd. (a subsidiary of Paterson GlobalFoods Inc.) completed construction of flat storage infrastructure at Paterson Grain’s terminal locations in Morris, Manitoba and Winnipeg, Manitoba.
In 2014, PTC Construction Ltd. began construction of a state of the art fertilizer distribution centre at Paterson Grain's farm services centre in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Paterson Grain's Winnipeg terminal also completed the construction of its second flat storage site, providing 40,000 tonnes of additional storage capacity.
Paterson Grain began an expansion project at its terminal in Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, increasing capacity by over 28,000 tonnes. In addition, Paterson Grain opened its doors to Swift Current farm services facility's new fertilizer distribution centre. PTC Construction Ltd. began NutraGro's expansion of its fertilizer plant in Winnipeg, Manitoba, which includes a second load-out line and 20,000 tonnes of additional storage capacity.
Paterson Grain announced plans to build inland export terminals in Daysland, Alberta and Bowden, Alberta. The two facilities will feature 55,000 tonnes of storage capacity and an innovative 150-car loop track that will undoubtedly make these locations two of the fastest train-loading sites on the Canadian Prairies. In addition to the two terminal announcements, Paterson Grain finished the construction of its new farm services center in Melita, Manitoba.
Completed construction of Paterson Grain's Flagstaff inland export terminal located in Daysland, Alberta. With storage capacity of over 55,000 metric tonnes, the new facility will utilize a highly efficient loop track system, which has become a customary feature in Paterson’s newest grain terminals. As the first in the industry to utilize the loop track design, Paterson has been able to minimize train loading times, setting new benchmarks at its two loop track sites.
Completed construction of Paterson Grain's Foothills inland export terminal located in Bowden, Alberta. With storage capacity of over 55,000 metric tonnes, the new facility utilizes a highly efficient 150 car train loop track capable of loading a full unit train in 8 hours. The facility can ship 75,000 bushels per hour, clean 8,800 bushels per hour, and receive 32 Super B trucks per hour. In addition, the terminal also includes two fully independent receiving lanes and is able to receive different commodities from each driveway without interrupting shipping operations.
Paterson Grain began an expansion project at its terminal in Morris, Manitoba, reducing loading times by over 50% with the installation of one of the largest capacity bucket elevators in operation. In addition, PTC Construction Ltd. began expansion at Paterson Grain’s terminal in Binscarth, Manitoba, increasing rail car capacity and constructing new fertilizer and bulk seed facilities.
PATERSON GRAIN
22nd Floor, 333 Main Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Canada R3C 4E2
LOCAL 204.956.2090
FAX 204.947.2386
TOLL FREE 1.800.667.7423
info@patersongrain.com
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