PWT was built 25 years ago

By Joan Janzen

It’s been twenty-five years since Prairie West Terminal (PWT), located between Dodsland and Plenty, celebrated its grand opening in August of 1998. Inland terminals dominated the landscape in the 1990s, with most projects either already built or in the planning stages. Great Sandhills Terminal at Leader was also started at that point in time. Most of the terminals were built from 1993 to 1998.

Grand opening of Prairie West Terminal, located between Dodsland and Plenty, was held 25 years ago on Friday, August 7, 1998. Photo (Crossroads, August 3, 1998)

According to an article in The Crossroads (August 3, 1998), PWT was built in part to keep the rail branch line open and running through the area at a time when rail companies were abandoning lines as part of the consolidation process. Technology has driven dramatic changes since the grain transportation system was established in the early 1900s.

It was also reported that grain shipments were heading down thin-membrane secondary roads, which were never built for heavy truck traffic, posing a problem. Fred Joyce, who was the Reeve for the RM of Winslow at that time, said communities adjacent to the PWT were working on a designated road for truck traffic going into the terminal.

At the PWT grand opening, residents and producers in the Dodsland, Plenty and Leader areas were commended for their drive and determination to keep their communities alive and thriving.