This eighteenth century mill still functions. Bread was the staple food of the Canadians, hence wheat was the principal crop grown. Normal consumption was a one and a half pound loaf (two French livres weight) per person per day; thus flour mills were essential. Seigneurs were obliged by law to build them for the benefit of their censitaires. If they failed to do so, the intendant would grant a license to someone else to build and operate a mill. The fee that could be charged by the seigneur or private miller was fixed at 1/14 of the flour produced from the wheat ground.
When enough families resided on a seigneury a reasonable profit could be made, which was an added inducement to the seigneurs to get their land settled quickly. There were two types of mills; water and wind. The latter were built where fast flowing streams were lacking, as was the case around Montreal. If there was no wind for several days, or summer drought dried up a mill stream, there was no bread and the people had to get by with corn meal.
Courtesy: Province de QuÄbec, SecrÄtariat d'âtat, inventaire des oeuvres d'art
