Highlights of the Strome Flour Mill1. Change of names of the flour mill:1911 - Strome Milling & Grain Company1918 - Interprovincial Flour Mills Ltd.1942 - Sterling Flour Mill1958 - Strome Feed Services2. Preservation of this building is important for protection of the heritage of this province. 3. The mill reveals aspects and insights into our past.4. Built in 1911-1912, the building is still on its original site - 78 years later.5. The mill is one of the oldest, large capacity flour mills in Alberta.6. The machinery the building contains represented the latest in milling technology in the early 1900's.7. All aspects of the mill, for example, location, type of business, ownership, workers, and reasons for its failure, are representative of the early milling industry in Alberta.8. The mill was essentially a home town effort since the majority of the shareholders and all the original company officers were residents of the Strome community.9. On July 24, 1912, the first day of production began with the processing of "Fancy Patent Sterling Flour."10. In 1934, the Edmonton Journal stated that "The Strome Flour Mill, one of the most outstanding, successful mills in the west (is) reputed to be the best equipped privately owned mill in the three provinces."11. The mill's "Sterling Brand Flour" (named after the municipal district that contained Strome) was of an excellent quality and was sold in the Peace River area as well as north and central Alberta.12. In 1942, the mill, employing 21 men, produced 700 bags of flour every 48 hours.13. The only modification to the mill was to convert the plant from steam to electricity around 1950.14. One of the managers, C.E. Austin, had been credited with making Robin Hood Flour Mills a leader in the industry.15. Before the flour mill was erected, there wasn't a flour mill between Wetaskiwin to the west and Saskatoon to the east, a distance of 300 miles; and between Stettler to the south and Vermillion to the north.16. By 1914, there were over 74 commercial flour mills in Alberta.17. The flour mill, though it went through a number of owners, changed very little from its first day of operation.18. When the mill started production, it was capable of grinding 200 barrels of flour per day.19. When the mill was finished being constructed in 1912, it had been less than a year before when the idea of planning and development had taken place.20. The insurance inspectors and millwrights who inspected the premises remarked that it had "no superior" in the province.21. In 1931, the Community Press stated that it was one of the best equipped mills in Alberta.22. The Edmonton Journal in 1934 states that the Midwest Laboratories, which, after testing, appraised the Strome product a "well milled spring wheat, having high baking strength and very good fermentative properties."23. In 1914, 4,000 sacks of flour were shipped to Hong Kong from the Strome Mill.24. The logo of the mill in 1927 was "Help the Mill and the Mill will help the Community."25. The flour mill equipment originally used in the building is still present, and is in good overall condition.26. The structure is of typical design in view of the date of construction, but is somewhat unusual in terms of modern construction techniques.27. One item of construction that is unique is that the floor above the double doors at the back of the mill is built in removable sections to accommodate moving machinery in and out.