A rare piece of the Similkameen Valley’s past is turning once again.
The waterwheel powering a 140-year-old Grist Mill in Keremeos is working, making it the only flour mill of its kind in Western Canada.
When the province began restoration of the Grist Mill in the early 1980s, archeological excavation uncovered the historic foundation timbers beneath 20 cm of silt; a new waterwheel was built based on this evidence.
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Since then, successive waterwheels have lasted approximately 15 years before needing replacing.
The most recent waterwheel suffered a structural failure in the spring 2016 and funding was secured from the B.C. Heritage Branch to build a replacement.
As the flour mill came to a grinding halt so too did the visitors.
“When the wheel stopped working a year ago it was like a dagger to the heart. We were so depressed,” said operator Chris Mathieson.
“People knew that the wheel wasn’t turning and so weren’t coming here. Now the heart is beating again, hopefully people will come back and see the site.”
Thanks to a $30,000 grant from the province a new wheel was built by Cuyler Page, who also helped restore the site several decades ago.
“There’s a compulsion, there’s an intrigue about it, and a beauty with these moving things,” he said of his love for the mill.
The cleaning, grinding and sifting to finished flour will soon return and visitors will be able to take home alittle keep sake of their own.
“It does smell and taste quite different than the flour you buy in a store,” Mathieson said.
WATCH: It’s a rare working piece of the Okanagan’s past. But is operating a grist mill heritage site too much of a financial grind for taxpayers?
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