Grist for the mill

Days before Christmas in 1849, a new business opened that symbolized a coming-of-age moment for southeast Wellington County.

Snuggled up against the Credit River and fed by the longest flume in county history, the Erin Grist Mill was an example of pioneer efforts to harness nature and participate in the Industrial Revolution.

Although Daniel McMillan did not live to see his dream come to fruition, having been felled by a gangrenous infection, his family would see the impact of this investment on the environs of Erin.

Farmers from far and wide would bring whole grains to the mill for processing. Barley, oats and wheat, transported by horse and wagon, would be turned into flour and assorted other items. Since a trip to town was less frequent than now, most would stock up on supplies and dry goods while the milling took place.

The belts, pulleys and gears brought to life by the flow of water was revolutionary. The application of primitive physics and the gambit of men like McMillan turned settlements into beehives of activity. Monotonous and difficult manual labour became increasingly mechanized and within a relatively short period of time the economics of scale saw those then-modern wonders silenced.

Access to rail, the introduction of power plants, whether steam, fuel or electricity, drove efficiency. The days of small-town mills were numbered. 

The Erin Grist Mill was repurposed many times over the years. Often a source of storage, it had become an eye sore in recent times. Derelict and forgotten, it served as a monument of a forgotten time, looming in the distance as a backdrop to what once was. 

Fortunately, the often-cruel hand of “progress” never meddled with its fate as so tragically happened in other communities. The skilled work of a reputed 100 Scottish stonemasons stood the test of time – resolute and defiant – having survived the ravages of fire and an unkind climate.

It stood waiting for another someone like McMillan. Someone with a vision and a plan. And probably just as important, the capital to see the renovation realized to its full potential. Who and when were primary questions until 2022.

Anticipating the conclusion of its lease at Centre 2000, the Wellington County Library board began the search for property options in Erin village. Despite an excellent facility in Hillsburgh just miles up the road, Erin and its bursting growth necessitated its own facility.

Of the many choices considered, the Erin Grist Mill topped the list, and the rest is history, as they say.

Once forlorn, the site has been transformed into a gathering place where people of all ages can engage and learn. Along with thousands of books, there are other resources to meet the needs of inquisitive minds.

Two distinct meeting rooms will be available for community groups and activities. Each features a walkout area, affording privacy with great views. The upper storey was adapted to include a panoramic view of downtown with the hills of Erin in the distance. It is quite stunning.

By investing in a brownfield site and developing it into a source of community pride, the county has shown the possibilities that municipal governance affords. Preservation of architecture and urban renewal are in the public’s interest. Far too many times, municipalities and private interests have destroyed built heritage in the past. County officials deserve recognition for an investment like this.

In recent weeks attention has focused on the growing literacy problem in Canada. 

Heather Reisman, despite her self-interest in the subject as founder of Indigo Books and Music, offered a staggering statistic in a recent podcast. 

“One in four working Canadians are functionally illiterate” according to her.

It isn’t news that the free world has become far too reliant on technology. It has in many ways fed the inability of people to read at length, comprehend what they are reading let alone discern what they think about a topic. 

The foundations of language, found in books and exposure to music starting from an early age, have been marred by babysitting tablets and gadgets. We need to turn this around.

Efforts by local librarians and programmers to encourage the lifelong skill of reading are admirable pursuits in a time where apps and now AI vie for people’s attention without long-term satisfaction. 

Much like the raw grains turned into flour over 175 years ago, ambitious readers with the desire to learn will come out the other side as productive, contributing citizens. 

That’s grist for the mill in the modern age.