The Catholic church and the Pointe-Claire Heritage Preservation Society are teaming up to preserve the eighteenth‑century windmill which is one of that town’s best features and also serves as its logo.
Wikipedia has an interesting list of the oldest buildings and structures in Montreal.
Two teenagers were arrested after scaling the Jacques‑Cartier early Sunday and, props to them, it was damn cold for that kind of exploit. It doesn’t sound like they had any political point to make.
The “glacier” in the old Francon quarry, which hasn’t completely melted since the snowy winter of 2007‑2008, had been subsiding for some years, but this winter’s snowfall has filled it back up.
Off season, the city has a team spreading the snow out to encourage melting. The water that accumulates at the bottom of the quarry is pumped up and sent to the city sewage treatment plant, presumably via the sewer system.
The quarry behind Westmount public works site on top of Cote-des-Neiges street used to be a snow dump and was Montreal’s “alpine glacier” that would sometimes last until September.
I remember seeing that as I went by on the bus. It was nearly black by late summer.
There is also a natural # sign in the cliff above it.
It’s also a really intersting site geologically, with lots of minerals in unusually high concentrations not only of individual type but also variety. It’s a shame it’s not open to the public at all.
81 valid minerals. 10 (TL) – type locality of valid minerals.
“Type locality, also called type area, is the locality where a particular rock type, stratigraphic unit or mineral species is first identified.” (wikipedia)
Editor’s note: Ian is talking here about the old Francon quarry, not the Westmount site.
Lol yeah, sorry 😀
The only news I’m seeing from the Nuit Blanche is that someone entered the crowded Complexe Desjardins, where people were vibing to Latin music as part of the Nuit, and set off bear spray, which dispersed the crowd. This is a reddit thread and the incident hasn’t been reported in the media, so there’s no indication of motive, arrest or any other details.
Update: TVA picked up the story later on Sunday, adding the detail that the spraying happened during a scrap between two groups.
Another demonstration against Amazon was held downtown Saturday, the protesters calling for a general boycott.
Nicholas 11:05 on 2025-03-03 Permalink
Two-thirds of the remaining windmills in Canada are in Quebec, and two-thirds of them are in the Montreal area, all accessible by transit. I made a plan to see them all this summer. Thanks for the link.
Kate 11:35 on 2025-03-03 Permalink
Pointe-Claire, Pointe‑aux‑Trembles, then there’s the Fleming Mill in Lasalle – described as “the only Québec mill of Anglo-Saxon influence” which, sorry, I find silly: “The Anglo-Saxons […] were a cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages […] The Anglo-Saxon period in Britain is considered to have started by about 450 and ended in 1066.” (Wikipedia)
Are there other windmills around here?
CE 13:07 on 2025-03-03 Permalink
Île Perrot has a really nice one which is apparently the only working windmill in Quebec. The old millers house is still there too. Very nice little park at the tip of the island. If you go there via boul Perrot, you’ll see lots of very pretty old farmhouses with a view of the Grande Anse bay. Another road that leads to the windmill is called boul Don-Quichotte which I think is a cute touch.
Nicholas 17:05 on 2025-03-03 Permalink
There’s a list on Wikipedia and more info from the Association des moulins du Québec, though they include water and wind mills.
Kate 17:13 on 2025-03-03 Permalink
We’re practically Dutch! I had no idea there were so many in existence.
Orr 17:56 on 2025-03-03 Permalink
Pointe-Aux-Trembles’ windmill was recently restored. A jewel.
In fact Quebec has more historic windmills that the entire rest of North America.
Kevin 18:59 on 2025-03-03 Permalink
Pointe du Moulin and Quinn’s Farm were frequent field trips for West Island kids in the ’80s and ’90s.
CE 20:12 on 2025-03-03 Permalink
Also on Île Perrot is this 18th Century windmill that was moved from Dorion and converted into a home in the 50s. It’s not open to the public but can be seen from the street.
Kate 20:42 on 2025-03-03 Permalink
That’s really nice, CE. Hidden treasures!
Dominic 10:09 on 2025-03-04 Permalink
That Ile Perrot windmill is for sale for 600K.
Check out the pictures here: https://www.centris.ca/en/houses~for-sale~notre-dame-de-l-ile-perrot/14087884?view=Summary&nocontext=true
Kate 11:54 on 2025-03-04 Permalink
Dominic, that’s kind of amazing. I could live in a place like that, except for the inaccessibility.
GC 13:22 on 2025-03-04 Permalink
And no breakfast bar, Kate ;).
I wish listings would include a floor plan. It really helps me visualize where rooms are in relation to each other. The video tour helps, but a floor plan would really clear up any questions. That powder room sure is an odd shape, but I suppose that’s inevitable given the available space. Also, all I really want from a powder room is that it’s functional.
dwgs 14:00 on 2025-03-04 Permalink
It looks pretty small and also sound must carry up those open stairways.
Kate 14:11 on 2025-03-04 Permalink
GC, I confess I checked for one!
I love how that place feels like a vertical hobbit hole.
My cat might enjoy giving the occasional yowl for the pleasure of the echo, but aside from that…
GC 20:50 on 2025-03-04 Permalink
dwgs, the fact that you seem to need to go through the primary bedroom to get to the upper one… That, to me, says it’s feasible for at most a couple with a small child. From that perspective, it seems like maybe enough area? Different people have different needs, of course, and I’m sure you’re right about the sound If that office above the garage is insulated, it could theoretically be another bedroom. Not sure there is plumbing over there, though.