Mille Roches
The Twentieth Century
Mille Roches' peak period of prosperity took place from 1890 to 1910 when the William Davis construction firm was hired to enlarge the Cornwall Canal. Reconstruction of the canal involved damming the river and enlarging the areas around Sheek's Island. This created a headpond that became known as Bergin Lake, named after Dr. Darcy Bergin, the local M.P. A swing bridge that connected Mille Roches to Sheek Island was added. Michael Davis, William's son, built the dam. The enterprising Michael went on to form the St. Lawrence Power Company and construct a generating station that opened on October 24, 1901. The powerhouse contained four turbines and was able to generate up to 2.25 MW of power, enough to operate the lock and serve the village's needs until 1955.
In 1904 Michael Davis decided to expand his little empire even further. He, along with a group of Cornwall businessmen, built a small stone paper mill on the east side of the village, which they named the Cornwall Paper Company. Unfortunately for Michael, the company got into serious financial trouble and with bankruptcy looming, the company was sold in 1909 to an American Company from Kalamazoo.
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Train Station [ca. early 1910]
Over time the paper mill grew to become the mainstay of Mille Roches' industrial operations. The new American owners were highly dedicated and experienced. Not only did they manage to turn the mill's fortunes around, they also won a number of industry awards during the 1930s for their excellent safety measures. They continued expanding the plant and by the mid forties were employing over 100 millhands. The company was eventually sold to Provincial Abitibi who continued building the operation, producing paper from rags and recycled paper. The plant later became known as the Provincial Paper Company. Continued uncertainty over the village's future forced the company to shut down the plant in 1952 and relocate to Thorold where they had a more modern operation.
Mille Roches had a public school and three churches, St. George's Roman Catholic Chapel, Mille Roches United Church and the Emmanuel Pentecostal Church. St. George's shared a priest with the churches at Dickinson's Landing and Farran's Point. Although the closest Anglican Church was located in Moulinette, the church maintained a presence in Mille Roches in the form of a church hall. As with most early twentieth century villages, the churches were the community's most prominent buildings. The railway station was located at the north end of town. The village's main street, old Highway 2, was lined with businesses and the community was well regarded for its attractive homes. F. W. Doherty managed a branch of the new Sterling Bank.
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The popular Mille Roches Arena [ca. 1935]
The pride and joy of Mille Roches was the hockey and skating arena that officially opened on February 8, 1936. Floyd Barkley, the popular local school principal, conceived the idea and quickly enlisted the enthusiastic support of the local townspeople. In October 1935 they formed the Mille Roches Arena Company and began selling shares to raise the necessary $10,000 for construction. It didn't take long. Construction began on November 1, 1935 and the building was ready for its first showing by Christmas, which consisted of skating and a hockey match.
The oval shaped arena had a high arched roof and a natural ice surface. It was 200 ft. long and 90 ft. wide and included dressing rooms, a refreshment booth, sound system, scoreboard and time clock. Mille Roches belonged to a small hockey league, which included the nearby villages of Moulinette and Massena N.Y., on the opposite side of the river. In addition to being a busy and popular recreational facility, the arena offered part-time employment in the form of parking attendants, ushers and rink rats to many of Mille Roches' youths. The arena was situated on the south end of the village west of the paper mill.
As time went on businesses, such as the cheese factory, came and went or changed hands. By the 1930s, people enjoyed to hanging out and exchange stories at either Ross's or Windle's barber shop and pool room. Popular restaurant owner, Ev Bush, ran a busy taxi service between Mille Roches and neighbouring Moulinette. The McCall-Frontenac gas station, later a Texaco, sat on Highway 2, at the south end of the village. Mille Roches also boasted its own volunteer fire department. The community remained busy and prosperous until the seaway discussions were revived.
By the early 50s things were beginning to wind down. After the paper mill closed, many of the workers relocated to Thorold, where they were offered jobs at the new plant. The powerhouse lasted until 1955, when it was demolished to make way for the seaway construction. The post office finally closed in January 1958.
Of all the villages, Mille Roches lies deepest in the water, 40 ft below the surface. Its outline can still be seen under the right lighting conditions. The location has become a popular spot for divers, who have found the old turbines and other sections of the powerhouse and locks. Two brick homes, once belonging to Ezra Johnston and Hugh Warner, were moved to Long Sault. The Lapierre store was salvaged and restored and can now be found in Ault Park at the Lost Villages Historical Society. The village's name has been commemorated in a number of ways; a street in the Long Sault, one of the 11 islands that is part of the Long Sault Parkway and Mille Roches Campground, one of several campgrounds operated by the St. Lawrence Parks Commission.