Parc historique de la Pointe-du-Moulin

We’ve been to this historical park a couple of times over the last few years, and revisited this past weekend to take in one of their weekend activities. Sunday August 6th was the first Fête du maïs complete with free (delicious) corn from Quinn Farm, snacks and beer, fresh baked bread, archery, guided tours of the windmill and miller’s house, a wonderful native history lesson, a wood-turning demonstration, a chance to grind corn (the little one LOVED this) and touch animal furs. 
My toddler wore his silver lamé spaceman suit for the entire day, much to his older brother’s embarrassment, and it was quite the clash of centuries as he posed in front of the teepee and visited the windmill. We ate, ran around, listened to the fully bilingual explanations of the buildings, ground some grain, learned about the island, and ate some more.

For those who wish to visit and have a guided tour of the buildings they’re available weekends from Victoria Day to Thanksgiving, and 7-days a week from St-Jean to Labour Day. On guided tour days you can visit the windmill and stone miller’s house, and every weekend there is also bread tasting around noon in the miller’s house, archery at 1pm and a visit to Interpretation Centre. You can always walk the hard-packed walking trails (stroller-friendly), enjoy the water views, giant picnic tables, and a really cool view of downtown Montreal and the mountain. It’s a small park, and the walk takes about 15 minutes (without stops) and circles back to the parking lot.
Right next door to the park is the Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot Nautical Club where you can rent kayaks, canoes, Rabaskas and pedal boats, or try the SUP Yoga classes. 
 You can read the hours of operation and rates at THIS LINK (just click on “Centre Nautique” in the menu) or call 514-290-2244.

This park is free when there are no guided visits (during the off season) and the park remains open for those who wish to picnic, walk the trails, or visit the nautical centre next door. Residents of Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, L’Île-Perrot, Pincourt, and Terrasse-Vaudreuil all get in at no charge with proof of residency. You can find all the rates HERE.

There are all sorts of festivals and events in the park throughout the spring and summer, including war reenactments, a classic car show, camping under the stars, and what I’m looking forward to: The festival the la S.O.U.P.E.! 

Find the site’s info, hours, entry fees, activities and special events on the official website HERE, and follow their FACEBOOK PAGE for up-to-date info!

p.s. If you’re looking for a nearby playground, parc des Mésanges is on the way and also has a lovely splash pad. Or there’s parc des Éperviers, which was voted one of Canada’s “coolest parks”! We’ve also visited almost every other park on the island which you can find using the map feature, or searching by city in the main menu. 

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