Pointe-Claire windmill to be restored as city seeks provincial funding

Located on the point of land from where the city gets its name, the Pointe-Claire windmill is also the Montreal suburb's emblem - you see its silhouette everywhere.

At 312 years old, many say it deserves to be refurbished.

"It's one of about a dozen windmills of its kind left in the province of Quebec that dates back to New France 1710," said Andrew Swidzinski of the Pointe-Claire Heritage Preservation Society.

The Archdiocese of Montreal owns the historical landmark and has promised to restore it. The city has also pledged almost $1 million to the project and is hoping the Quebec government can pitch in too.

There's a lot to do, said Swidzinski.

"They need to redo much of the exterior and roof, and sails, and new trunk inside would need to be installed."

The Pointe-Claire Heritage Preservation Society has already raised some $30,000 for the interior mechanism of the windmill but Swidzinski said more money is required -- the total price tag could be close to $2 million.

Pointe-Claire Mayor Tim Thomas said he's satisfied with the $1 million the city pledged.

"The Archdiocese was not going to sell. They were never going to sell, so we had to do a deal. We couldn't own it, so how do you repair something you don't own? You repair it for the future, free access for Pointe-Claire citizens, and we don't have to pay for the upkeep, so we'll save over time easily. I'm happy with the deal," he said.

The Archdiocese of Montreal has given the green light to the project. Stefano Marrone is head of real estate for the Archdiocese.

"It's a substantial size. It's a complicated project even though the windmill itself is not enormous, due to its age, the restoration that needs to be done increases the cost," he said.

The last piece of the financial puzzle would be a grant from the ministry of culture, and then the windmill could be back in working order.

"We felt that it's important that it, first of all, remains an historical building for not just the community but the future of the community, the younger generations but it is also a strong emblem of Pointe-Claire as well and we wanted to make sure it remains intact and in part of the community as well," said Marrone.

The hope is that renovations begin next year.