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Audio Transcript

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Take a look to your right across the road. You'll see a tall skinny brown brick building on the corner. Believe it or not, this iconic looking old building was once the tallest skyscraper in Calgary! That’s right, you’ve made it to the Grain Exchange. I mean, it may not qualify as one now, but back when it was built, this thing was huge! It even housed the city’s first passenger elevator back in the day!

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In the years leading up to World War One, Alberta saw a rapid increase in the development of the agricultural industry. Calgary quickly became a major hub for the grain industry in Alberta, resulting in economic growth and prosperity. While we still call this building the grain exchange, the grain corporations actually left the premises way back in 1919, because they needed more room. The grain exchange housed a total of 21 different grain companies. It was also where they set the price of grain for the whole province.

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They would talk to all the provincial grain companies by telegraph. That’s right, telegraph!