There was some sad news last weekend with the passing of Jim Pearson of Drumheller, Alberta.

Pearson was well known in agricultural circles for his work to document and preserve prairie grain elevators.

His friend and contributor, Johnnie Bachusky, the editor at the Innisfail Province, says he and Pearson had collaborated recently on a photography show focusing on the prairie sentinels.

"His passion went beyond my photography of them. It was all about how they worked, how they operated, how they were built, constructed and designed and everything like that. And over the years he kept an amazing data base on every single grain elevator that was built in Western Canada, whether is was corporately or privately owned."

Jim Pearson was just 57 years old.

Pearson, who was a graphic designer, made cardstock models of hundreds of prairie grain elevators as part of his passion for preserving their history. Photo Jim A Pearson (Facebook).