Neglected for years, the Pointe-Claire windmill will be restored. The City of Pointe-Claire, which has made it its emblem, has agreed to make a contribution of nearly one million dollars to support the project to preserve this mill built in 1709 by the priests of Saint-Sulpice.
The Archdiocese of Montreal, which owns the heritage building, has reached an agreement in principle with the municipality of the West Island of Montreal for the payment of an amount of $967,761 to restore the mill unused for decades, but classified as a heritage building by the Quebec Ministry of Culture and Communications in 1983. The Archdiocese intends to apply for a grant from the ministry to complete the financial package.
The project aims to make the mill functional again, rebuild the period mechanism inside the building and renovate the exterior masonry, blades and roof. Supported by the City of Pointe-Claire and the Society for the Preservation of Pointe-Claire Heritage, the Archdiocese hopes that the mill will eventually be accessible to the public. “We are in the preliminary planning stages, so this is just the beginning of the process and we are determining the scope of work required,” said the To have to Stefano Marrone, property manager at the Archdiocese of Montreal.
Fruitful discussions
The Pointe-Claire Heritage Preservation Society had been campaigning for 20 years for the restoration of the mill, one of the 10 windmills built under the French regime and which still exist in Quebec. “In 2019, a storm knocked off two of the wings. So the condition of the mill has deteriorated a lot over the past two years,” explains Andrew Swidzinski, president of the Pointe-Claire Heritage Preservation Society.
The discussions undertaken by the organization with the Archdiocese, the Ministry of Culture and the new mayor of Pointe-Claire, Bill Thomas, have finally borne fruit, rejoices Mr. Swidzinski, who considers the financing of the City as an element decisive for the realization of the restoration project. “It’s one of the only historic villages that remain on the island of Montreal with Rivière-des-Prairies,” he says.
Built in 1709 by the priests of Saint-Sulpice on a point of land jutting out into Lake Saint-Louis, the Pointe-Claire windmill was operational until 1880. It subsequently suffered damage and was closed. Around 1896, the roof was modified and the building housed a pumping station for the private aqueduct of the Convent of the Sisters of Notre-Dame located nearby. A conical roof and fixed wings were installed in 1967 on the occasion of the centenary of the convent.
According to Mr. Swidzinski, the contribution of the City of Pointe-Claire represents approximately half of the total cost of the restoration project, estimated at $1.9 million. He indicates that the idea is to offer guided tours to the public and to make the mill functional, like that of Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, in order to grind grain and make flour. “I think it would be very interesting for educational reasons, but also for practical purposes. Keeping a ceremonial mill with the wings immobilized resulted in mold buildup, which accelerated deterioration [du bâtiment] he says.
Andrew Swidzinski specifies that in the 2010s, the organization led a fundraising campaign which made it possible to buy grinding stones which could be integrated into the building.
The Pointe-Claire Heritage Preservation Society hopes that funding can be confirmed next year so that work can begin before the end of 2023.