Industrial Archives | Page 2 of 3 | The mills of Île de la Visitation at the Sault-au-Récollet: Celebrating 300 years of history in 2026!

Buildings of the Back River Power Company in 1942

The dike’s industrial buildings in 1942. On the left, a warehouse.

La Visitation Island and the Des Prairies River hydroelectric power plant in 1947

Aerial view of La Visitation Island and the Des Prairies River hydroelectric power plant in 1947. The mills are on the left, between the islands of Montreal and La Visitation. The […]

The waterwheel from a hydraulic turbine

A waterwheel spun by the water current inside a hydraulic turbine. Left on the ground near the dike, it testifies to the use of the water current on […]

Two turbines in the snow

Two hydraulic turbines left in the water under the dike during renovations in the late 1990s. They were photographed, covered in snow, in December 2022.

The nail

We see a heron standing in the shallow waters, and then from the mills’ dike, Mr. Jean Poitras (JPo) tells us how he discovered an old nail as he […]

Gears, wheels and drive belts

Hydraulic power transmission mechanisms. A: water power is transmitted via gears. B: torque is transferred from one wheel to the other via a drive belt.

Initial functions of the Mills site

On the left of the illustration, a sawmill inaugurated in 1726. This is the first building to operate on the mills site. On the right, a second building […]

Map of the Sault’s village core, likely drawn between 1726 and 1749 (detail)

Detail of an anonymous and undated map of the sector between Fort Lorette and the mills’ dike. The first structures on the dike are represented, but not the […]

Overview of the Mills site today

We follow the camera into the less accessible vestiges of the old mills, appreciating in passing the water running through the site as well as the surrounding nature. […]

A tribute to the Sault’s masons

This restored masonry wall is a testament to the work of the Sault’s craftspeople. It is framed by steel structures commemorating the various industrial uses of the mills […]

View of the mills’ dike from La Visitation Island in 1839

Drawing representing the various structures on the mills’ dike in 1839. In the background, the first church with its single bell tower. In the foreground, a cross planted […]

The mills site in the fall of 1976

Aerial view of the mills site in the fall of 1976, a few years before the expropriation and demolition of the industrial buildings.