About Us
Grant's Old Mill Museum is located at 2777 Portage Avenue in Winnipeg Manitoba on the banks of Sturgeon Creek (kitty corner to Booth Drive).
We operate a water-powered mill using mill stones to demonstrate how wheat was ground into flour in the mid 1800’s. Wheat was an important food source for the community and a mill was required to grind the wheat into flour. There were already several windmills in the area, but Cuthbert Grant built the first water-powered mill west of the Great Lakes. It was completed in 1829 and located on the banks of Sturgeon Creek in Winnipeg. This mill is a replica of one built by Cutherbert Grant in 1829 — to help feed his Métis people and was considered the first water powered mill in Western Canada. It is made of one-foot thick tamarack logs that came from the Whiteshell and its stones from the quarries at Garson.
We also share the stories of Cuthbert Grant (1793 to 1854) in regards to the fur trade and the fur trade wars. as He was considered to be the first leader of the Métis Nation here in Manitoba.
The mill is open to the public and provides a real life glimpse of a working water-powered flour mill.
The staff are friendly and knowledgeable and the area surrounding Grant’s Old Mill is perfect for picnics or an afternoon lounging in the sunshine.
What's Coming
Grant’s Old Mill is sorely in need of a structural repair thanks to 50+ years of aging and environmental wear and tear. It’s been recently assessed by a structural engineering company as well as a log building specialist from Parks Canada and the City is now creating a plan on how to properly restore the building.
It’s important due to it’s historical significance, marking not only Manitoba’s shift from a hunting and trapping economy to an agricultural one, but also highlights a vital time in the Métis Nation’s history. There are a lot of stories embedded in this building’s history, it’s a landmark we want to keep intact, and one that we can share with people … to bring more light to what life was like in those days.
There are few if any monuments to honour the part played by the Métis people in the early days of the Red River settlement. In Grant’s mill, we have perhaps the most appropriate form of memorial that could have been devised. It marks not only the initiative of a pioneer leader but might well be distinguished as the beginning of industrial enterprise in the colony.
We will be sharing more details with the public as soon as the restoration plan ramps up. So, stay tuned here (and on our social spaces) for more details.
"He saw his people through conflict and change, and helped transition them to a new way of life in what is now Canada and the United States."
— Carole Lindstrom, Author of "Leader of The Métis People"
Get Involved
The Grant’s Old Mill Museum is always looking for volunteers for various activities. So, come out, participate and join in on the companionship here at the museum. At this time, we particularly need people with the following interest and/or skills:
✅ Museum marketing and promotion
✅ Production of museum displays
✅ Photographers (for press release imagery)
✅ Assistance at museum functions
You will meet a wide variety of fun and interesting people, and be able to participate in activities that you may never have the opportunity to engage in elsewhere. All the while being able to contribute to the preservation of Manitoba and prairie history. If this sounds of interest to you, please send an email to us by clicking the button below with your (1) name, (2) email address, and (3) phone number. And we’ll get back to you to discuss your interests further. We look forward to meeting you!
VOLUNTEER
Connect with opportunities to volunteer and give back to not only the community, but to the preservation of Manitoba's history.
COMMUNITY
Through our Community outreach activities, we are able to connect with people on the benefits of volunteerism.
HISTORY
Empower Winnipegers through community building by helping them learn more about the events in history that created this great city.
GRATEFULLY ACCEPTING DONATIONS
Make History Long-Lasting ... Donate Today!
The Grant’s Old Mill Museum is gratefully accepting donations of money from the public and volunteer community. Allocations go to:
(1) A specific Grant’s Old Mill museum project / event;
(2) In memory of someone special in your life; and/or
(3) General revenue to keep the museum open
Please accept our heartful THANK YOU in advance for your generous gift.
We are thrilled to have your support. You truly make the difference for us, and we are extremely grateful!
Grant’s Old Mill is located on Treaty 1 territory, the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dene, and Dakota Peoples, and the homeland of the Métis Nation.
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