Île-des-Moulins Historic Site

The history of Île-des-Moulins began in 1721 when seigneur Louis Lepage de Sainte-Claire built a flour mill and a sawmill on a causeway connecting the island to the mainland, taking advantage of the powerful hydraulic flow of the Mille Îles River at this precise location. In 1803, under seigneur McTavish, a bakery was added, producing the famous "sailor's biscuits"—a very hard bread designed to feed travelers departing by canoe towards the Upper Country as part of the fur trade. After a period of informal recreational use in the 20th century—including an artificial lake, a beach, and even a mobile home park in the 1960s—the island reached a turning point in 1973 when it was designated a historic monument, then acquired by Minister of Cultural Affairs Denis Hardy the following year, despite initial opposition from part of the local population. Today fully restored, Île-des-Moulins invites visitors to discover five heritage buildings—the mill vestiges, the former bakery, the seigneurial office and Bélisle House, one of the oldest residences in Old Terrebonne dating from 1759—together forming the second most significant historical reconstruction complex in Quebec after Quebec City's Place-Royale. The site now welcomes dynamic cultural programming throughout the year, including the popular Terrebonne Wine and History Festival, which has become an unmissable summer destination for over twenty years.