Site du Moulin des Pères
Moulin des Pères
1 Chemin de la Traverse
Aumond, Québec, J0W 1W0
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Description
The village of Aumond takes its name from the only French‑speaking “timber baron” of the Gatineau River and its surroundings, the French‑Canadian Joseph‑Ignace Aumond (1810–1879). He took part in founding the Ottawa Lumber Association in 1836, along with John Egan, in order to enter the lumber trade at a time when rapid urbanization in the United States was creating increased demand for construction wood. His company would eventually employ up to a thousand men, even before opening his worksite in Aumond in 1840. He became one of the few Québécois to compete with the timber barons of the Gatineau River during the 1840s and 1850s.
Aumond was also known as “Moulin des Pères” (“Fathers’ Mill”), a name that recalls the decision of the Oblate Fathers to build a sawmill there in 1861. The location was not chosen by chance: at that spot, the river was narrow enough to be crossed on foot at certain times of the year. A flour mill was later built and put into operation seven years afterward. These mills were powered by hydraulic energy from a small dam built on the Joseph River. This same dam also provided electricity to the village beginning in 1927, supplying two or three light bulbs per household. The old structures of the dam can still be seen along the river.
Throughout the 20th century, and until the mill closed, the Barbeau, Guérette, Richard, Lévesque, and Roy families, along with many employees, contributed to the success of the operation.
The sawmill closed in the 1990s and was dismantled in 1998. Today, an interpretation trail runs along the Joseph River, offering several scenic viewpoints as well as interpretive panels recounting the history of the Oblate Fathers.
Galerie Photo
