Île-des-moulins The pre-industrial complex of the
Île-des-moulins was amongst the most important ones in the province of Quebec during the 19th century. Although several infrastructures have degraded, a total of five buildings remain. The fourth lord of Terrebonne, Abbot Louis Lepage, had ordered the construction of the first flour mill in 1721 as well as the first saw mill around 1725. In 1803, the bakery was built and established in the village. The current saw and flour mills were built in 1804 and 1846, respectively. Four years following the construction of the flour mill that is currently standing at the
Île-des-moulins to this day, the
Moulin neuf (New Mill) was built in 1850. In addition, around the same time in 1850, the seigniory office was established. In 1973, the
Île-des-moulins was classified as a historic site of national interest by the
Government of Quebec.
Moulin-Neuf dam The '''
Moulin-Neuf dam''' allows for the flow regulation of the
Rivière des Mille Îles, as well as ice accumulation control in the spring. The first dam at the
Île-des-moulins was built in 1721, following the establishment of the very first flour mill. This dam linked the
Île-des-moulins to the
Île Saint-Jean, passing through the small
Île aux moutons, located midway between the two islands in the
Rivière des Mille Îles. In 1872, the Masson family ordered the construction of a new dam near the location of the current historical one. However, this dam was rebuilt in cement in the year 1890 for reinforcement and increased resilience. Nearly a century later, in 1972, the owner of the
Île-des-moulins decided to destroy the dam with
dynamite due to
flooding risk. As a result, the dam underwent severe damage, prompting the city of Terrebonne to acquire the island and classify it as a protected historical site in 1973. In 1979, the
Ministère des Richesses naturelles du Québec ordered the reconstruction of the
Moulin-Neuf dam, to which a pedestrian walkway was added to allow citizens, visitors, and tourists to walk from the
Île-des-moulins to the larger
Île Saint-Jean. This new dam was built a certain distance away from the small
Île aux moutons, making the dam significantly longer than the initial ones.
Ecclesiastical architecture The actual Saint-Louis-de-France Church in Old Terrebonne (
Vieux Terrebonne), near the historical site of the
Île-des-moulins, was established in 1878, while the parish was founded in 1723 by Louis Lepage de Sainte-Claire, priest of the diocese of Quebec, parish priest of the
Île Jésus, and lord of the Seigniory of Terrebonne. The parish was part of the diocese of Saint-Jérôme. The current Saint-Louis-de-France Church built around the year 1878, the third since the foundation of the parish, was equipped with a Casavant organ in 1946. In 1880, parish priest Piché, informally known as the
bon monsieur Piché ("Good Mister Piché" in English), exhumed the bodies buried in the basement of the old church in order to place them in the crypt of the new one. ==Sports==