About us | scieriepatrimoniale

Our History

In June 2004, the Mayor and Chief Administrator initiated a dialogue with Imperial Oil for the remediation and development of their abandoned industrials browns field sites. They had a positive attitude towards leasing the land for this new project. This project consisted of a replica of the former sawmill lumber burners as an observation tower in the downtown area and Highway 11. Unfortunately, the safety concerns of access to the top of the burner were sufficient to re-examine this project.

After much research, the Economic Development Corporation chose to purchase the former Bergeron family sawmill which was located in the village of Harty for its relocation on Highway 11 in Hearst. This is how the heritage sawmill was born. This new project consists of an open space inside and outside to host exhibitions, cultural shows, agri-food and artisan markets. The contact was offered to a local construction company, Strategik, who handled the building's installations as well as the relocation of the sawmill from its original site to Harty. In July 2011, the Heritage Sawmill Marketplace was inaugurated to commemorate the legacy of a forestry culture that is part of the daily lives of the citizens of the Hearst community.