Barns of Western Canada: An Illustrated Century

Joan McGrath is a Toronto Board of Education library consultant.

A very important and heretofore neglected part of the Canadian cultural heritage is the barn. Once an essential part of every homestead, the barn was usually the largest, most imposing structure on the family property, and it was said that one could assess the relative position of husband and wife in a pioneer family by comparing the sizes of barn and house: where the latter was a mere shack in comparison with an impressive barn, the husband ruled the roost.

This handsome volume focuses on the barns of the Canadian West, although it touches upon the history of the barn and illustrates some of the European models from which most North American barns were copied. These buildings were designed in a myriad of styles, using whatever materials were in most abundant local supply. They varied in shape, size, and, in later years, once barn-painting became acceptable, in colour as well. Barns of Western Canada brings together photographs of some of the beautiful old buildings still bearing witness to the past. All too many now stand empty and will not long survive as derelicts. This informative study is a reminder of the Canadian past and a warning that irreplaceable treasures are being neglected and even demolished. Now is the time to value and preserve these relics of pioneer days. Detailed construction notes are given on the 223 barns whose photographs, many in colour, are a joy to behold.