Prairie Sentinel preserves the history of the grain elevator in Canada. It covers the period from the first elevator in 1879 to the larger, more efficient terminals of today. The detailed text and archival photographs provide a lasting tribute to these cultural landmarks. In one respect the grain elevator is simply a storage container with the capacity to weigh, clean, and load grain. But as anyone who lives on the prairies knows, the elevator has a more significant social purpose and meaning. Standing out on the horizon, visible from miles away, the grain elevator is a potent reminder of the region's history and a symbol of its economic lifeblood. Farming has changed dramatically since the early days when grain elevators were new technology. Today, the elevator is quickly being replaced by innovations in farming, grain storage, and transportation. Because the country elevator has entered popular culture- especially art and literature- the loss of these monoliths is changing more than just the face of rural western Canada.