Point of Interest 6 of the Rawdon Lake Aquatic Tour
Remnants of a bygone era, the foundations of an old mill, located on private property, serve as a reminder of the importance of mills and the forestry industry to Rawdon’s economic development.
This photo shows the foundations of the mill at Mason Falls (at the top and on the right of the photo). For more information on the mills, see: https://www.histoirederawdon.ca/les-moulins-sur-la-riviere-rouge-a-rawdon/
In the early 20_ century, the mill belonged to William Barrie and then to Misaël Neveu. The latter operated this mill at its site on Mason Falls until 1914.
The Advances in wood-sawing technology, the development of new energy sources (steam, electricity) and a major tourism development project eventually convinced Misaël Neveu to sell a parcel of land to a developer from Rawdon Heights Realties Limited, thereby enabling the creation of the lake known today as Rawdon Lake and the launch of a major tourism development project.
Today, the Neveu family still owns a large tract of land on the banks of Mason Falls and operates a sugar shack there.
Sources:
- Fournier, Marcel. Rawdon : 175 ans d’histoire (Rawdon: 175 years of history), p. 137 Website accessed May 23, 2026, URL : https://www.histoirederawdon.ca/rawdon-175-ans-dhistoire/
- Chroniques anachroniques, Les scieries et manufactures de Rawdon : 1900-1920 (Rawdon’s sawmills and factories: 1900–1920). Website accessed May 4, 2026. URL: https://montrealbb.ca/scieries-rawdon/