The Little Mill That Became a Signal Station
The mill’s sails turn and turn as the wind blows across the St. Lawrence at Grondines. On September 29, 1675, the mill grinds flour for the very first time.
For almost 200 years, the roof and sails of the mill built in 1674 by Pierre Mercereau kept rotating, and the mechanisms worked to grind the grain harvested from the rocky Grondines soil. In the 1870s, as the village expanded further inland, the mill was abandoned. Pummelled by bad weather, it lost its sails and most of its roof.
Enjoy this interview with a translated transcript: “Interview with Maurice Côté, lighthouse keeper, January 1994”.
The mill was in a deplorable state when the Department of the Navy and Fisheries acquired it in 1912. After extensive restoration work, the mill could start life anew.
Enjoy this interview with a translated transcript: “Interview with Ovila Paquette (excerpt 2), lighthouse keeper, January 1994”.
Warden of the River
Outfitted with windows and an observation deck on the third floor, the stone tower was transformed into a maritime signal station. Day and night, watchmen kept an eye on ship traffic and monitored the river’s hazards.
Until 1967, the watchmen took turns recording weather conditions, the names of ships and the time they passed by, informing crews of weather conditions and notifying ports of arrivals to help them plan the relief for pilots and stevedores.
After some 60 years in operation, the signal station closed in 1967 and the old mill was handed over to the municipality for restoration. Classified as an archeological site in 1984, the simple mill is now a symbol of the village and sits on a beautiful site that delights locals and tourists alike.
Enjoy this interview with a translated transcript: “Interview with Ovila Paquette (excerpt 2), lighthouse keeper, January 1994”.