history of the mill

The mill was built in the early 1830’s. It has been at the heart of the development of the parish of Sainte-Claire and the Abénakis hamlet. Throughout the years, we have ground grain for animals and flour. We have sawed wood, made timber, beams and cedar shingles. Back in the day, the mill was operated by the water of the river. We depended on its rhythm!

The mill became dormant for a long period of time during the 1970’s. When the turbines said their last hurrah, the owners closed the mill. It was resuscitated in April 1982 with the vision of Hubert Lacoste, my father. He saw in grain grinding on a stone wheel a way to restore the mill to its previous glory and to offer stone-ground flour to everyone: a food with a very high octane index and of superior quality, allowing for one to choose between commercial flour and a noble product in existence for millenniums as a staple food and a powerful support to daily activities.

Under Hubert’s watch, thousands of tons of good flour were produced. In 1986, the acquiring of an organic certification reinforced the quality of these nourishing flours. They have been sold in Japan, Australia, France, Belgium and in many parts of Canada and the United States. In the fall of 2015, after almost 40 years of service to quality and well-being, Hubert stepped down.

Today, it is me, Reno Lacoste, who took over the reins of the business. I wish to continue the tradition of quality that my father established and offer stone-ground organic flours with the same passion that drives, and that has always driven my family.