WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA — CWB on May 8 announced the pouring of the concrete slip for its fourth state-of-the-art grain elevator located near St. Adolphe, Manitoba, Canada.

The elevator pour began May 4, and the 65-member crew was expected to finish on May 11, with a continuous pour of one foot of concrete per hour. The elevator is flood protected, surrounded by a berm built two feet above 1997 flood levels, and will feature 34,000 tonnes of storage, cleaning facilities and a 134-car loop track that will facilitate fast and efficient car loading at over 1,600 tonnes per hour.

"The St. Adolphe and Red River Valley area is an important market for CWB," said CWB President and Chief Executive Officer Ian White. "It's an area we felt was essential to invest in given it is one of the highest producing areas in Western Canada, and it further complements our growing network of assets across the country."

The elevator will be situated on the CN Railway mainline, providing CWB with rail access to its assets in eastern Canada, U.S. markets and the west coast.

"This is a very exciting time for CWB," said White. "With the recent announcement of G3’s C$250 million investment in CWB, we are continuing to move forward with our strategic growth plan. Our growing network of assets is strengthening our presence throughout Western Canada, allowing us to offer farmers greater choice, improved access to world markets and equity in a growing Canadian grain company."

All farmers who deliver to CWB's St. Adolphe facility will be eligible to participate in CWB’s Farmer Equity Plan. CWB launched the Farmer Equity Plan in 2013, and it is the only opportunity in Canada to enable farmers to have significant equity interest in a Canadian grain company. For every tonne of grain delivered to CWB, farmers will receive C$5 in equity in CWB at no cost to them.

The construction of CWB's St. Adolphe elevator was announced last October, and is on track to begin receiving grain in March 2016. All of CWB's new elevators are being constructed by FWS.

"This is one of four elevators FWS is constructing for CWB," said Gord Flaten, vice-president, Grain Procurement. "We chose FWS for their extensive experience and expertise in this type of grain elevator construction, and so far the results are speaking for themselves. We have been progressing on or ahead of schedule at all of our sites with excellent project management by FWS."