Flour Mill in Les Eboulements

Les Emboulements is an area of small villages north of Quebec City.

We visited the flour mill, built in 1790, and still in operation today. Entirely restored, its original mechanism powered by a waterwheel still drives the millstones. 

This outside oven is very similar to the one at The Little Pig Boulangerie. 

An outside oven is needed because of the weight of the cement and the need for a chimney. Immense heat escapes once the oven door is opened. They will fire it up and then clean out the ashes before baking.

The water flows over a waterfall into a sluice which is then directed to the water wheel which turns the cogs of the flour mill.

Sluice

This grate offers views of the water flowing into the water wheel area.

This miniature model helped to understand the process. The mill operates 2 - 3 times a week. Less often in the winter because of the ice.

The belts are turned inside out so that they can be used twice as long. 

Some of the belts and cogs which power the mill:

 

 Ground flour flows into the funnel.

 

And then into this bin.

This sifter makes coarser flour.

 

This sifted is used for finer flour.

 

Eventually, the flour is packed into these 45 pound bags.

 

The bags are then hoisted with a chain through a trap door to the second floor.

Later, the flour is packaged into these smaller bags for sale.