Grant’s Old Mill open for another season

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/04/2017 (3323 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Spring is here, which also opens the doors to one of Winnipeg’s historic landmarks for the season.

Grant’s Old Mill Museum has been a meeting place for the communities of St. James, Assiniboia and Kirkfield Park for decades. It’s a popular place for everyone, including seniors, families and those who like to barbecue or picnic in a park-like setting.

The museum is on the bank of Sturgeon Creek near the corner of Portage Avenue and Booth Drive. Made of logs brought from the Whiteshell in 1975, Grant’s Old Mill was constructed the way it would have been built in 1829 — all tongue-and-groove, without nails.

The idea of the restoration of Grant’s Water Mill on Sturgeon Creek was first conceived by a St. James-Assiniboia senior citizens group that received a community grant for the project. The group chose the restoration of the old mill as its project. 

The mill is named after Cuthbert Grant Jr., who operated the first water mill west of the Great Lakes. It provides a glimpse of a real working flour mill. They operate the flour mill using solid granite millstones to demonstrate how wheat is ground into flour now, and how it was done in the 1800s. They teach the history of Cuthbert Grant, the fur trade and the fur trade wars of the early 1800s. Grant is considered the first leader of the Métis Nation. 

Grant salvaged the grindstones and transported them to Grantown (the present St. Francois Xavier), and built a windmill which served the needs of the Métis settlement for many years. Today, the mill receives grain donated by Paterson Grain and could produce about 1,000 pounds of whole-wheat flour a season. St. James Assiniboia Pioneer Association Inc. operates the mill, which was officially opened in July 1975 by then-Premier Ed Schreyer.

I want to thank Ken and Nancy Fluto, and all the board members who have been pivotal in the mill’s operations for years. Grant’s Old Mill will be open from the May long weekend to Labour Day and will host two special events — Cuthbert Grant Day on the second Saturday of July, and a Pioneer Picnic on the second Saturday of August along with tours throughout the season.  
I encourage everyone to visit the mill and learn about its history while enjoying the beautiful serenity of the green space.