Elko Community Auction Yards

(1942-1953)

In the spring of 1942, the Waldo Stockbreeders Livestock Association, a cattlemen’s group formed three years earlier, obtained a lease from the Canadian Pacific Railway for a property site next to the tracks and across from the Elko town site. At this site, volunteers constructed a network of corrals for one of the first community livestock auction sales in British Columbia.

This ambitious venture, undertaken by the 25-member group, sparked the interest and support of others throughout the region. The men in charge of the 1942 yard construction were Ellis Sweet and Bill Belanger.  Other volunteers on record were Jack McDonald, Jack Aye, R. Fitzpatrick, John Desrosiers, Walter Sweet, Wes Earl and Allister Munro.

The first Community Auction Sale, held on October 17, 1942, was officially opened at Elko by the B.C. Minister of Agriculture – The Honourable K.C. MacDonald.  The Minister was so impressed with the success of the sale that he promised a $500 grant for construction of additional pens and a dining hall at the site. 

Records indicate that William MacGillivray, District Agriculturist, was overseer of the sale with Margurite Aye as bookkeeper.  Louise Pallone (later Hovind), an office clerk loaned by the city of Fernie, was the clerical staff.  Auctioneer was J. Burno of Calgary and livestock buyers attended from this district as well as from Lethbridge, Calgary, Kamloops and Grand Forks.

There were 438 head of cattle and 514 head of sheep sold that day (and loaded into railcars by 6 p.m.) for a sale day gross of $31,266.39.

Prior to each sale, livestock would arrive at the Elko yards by rail from Invermere and Cranbrook, but most of the consigned stock was driven by horsemen from the local ranches.