Our History
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It may not be so hard to believe the Visual Arts Centre of Clarington (VAC) was once a functioning mill. Ontario Mills, Mackay's Caledonia Mills and Cream of Barley are just a few names that the VAC has gone by. Its story is one of colourful owners, of firsts and innovations, all of which contributed to the growing community of Bowmanville. It started in 1814 when Timothy Soper bought 94 acres of land from Augustus Barker, complete with its own source of waterpower. Soper opened up one of the first saw mills in the Darlington area that year.
Between 1877 and 1886 the mill changed hands several times until John MacKay, who was known as the "Barley King of Canada" and a miller by trade, purchased the mill and launched it into new prominence. |
He called his business Caledonia Mills which specialized in the manufacture of pot and pearl barley. MacKay, known to be a quiet man in private, was quite renowned in the barley world. He won awards in many parts of the world. Including a bronze medal for a pearl barley machine in Buffalo in 1873, a silver medal for pearl barley in Jamaica in 1891, and a diploma for barley at Wolverhampton Industrial Exhibition in 1902.
He even patented his own equipment which ground a very fine grade of flour and had it installed in the mill. By 1894, the mill was operating 24 hours a day, with the exception of Sundays, and arrangements were made to grow the space. The mill burned down in 1904, two years after John MacKay's death. It was quickly replaced with the present red brick structure and before long business was booming again.
During and after the First World War a wheat shortage stimulated business in barley products. The mill evolved into Cream of Barley Mills, named after its breakfast product, which was which is comparable to Cream of Wheat. Older residents remember Cream of Barley as a mainstay at the breakfast table each morning. By 1929, a new phase of the mill had begun. James Lake Morden made one of the smartest business moves of his career by marrying Mackay's daughter Gertrude, he acquired ownership of the Mill for the grand sum of one dollar.
After Mr. Morden died, ownership of the mill passed into the hands of Alfie Shrubb in 1946. As for the mill, it had already seen its heyday and started to decline under Shrubb's ownership. The new trend towards prepared breakfast cereals didn't help any. In the late 1950's he sold the mill to Leo Bierman, an immigrant from Czechoslovakia. Bierman tried to resurrect the business. He had the barley shipped from Winnipeg but after one year he took the entire operation there and brought an end to the age of barley at the red brick mill.
The old building stood empty until the local Rotary Club purchased the Mill property in 1965 and used it as a drop-in centre. Finally in 1973, the town of Bowmanville acquired the Mill for the same price as Mr. Morden paid back in 1929 - one dollar. Council agreed to allow the building to be used as a Visual Arts Centre.
He even patented his own equipment which ground a very fine grade of flour and had it installed in the mill. By 1894, the mill was operating 24 hours a day, with the exception of Sundays, and arrangements were made to grow the space. The mill burned down in 1904, two years after John MacKay's death. It was quickly replaced with the present red brick structure and before long business was booming again.
During and after the First World War a wheat shortage stimulated business in barley products. The mill evolved into Cream of Barley Mills, named after its breakfast product, which was which is comparable to Cream of Wheat. Older residents remember Cream of Barley as a mainstay at the breakfast table each morning. By 1929, a new phase of the mill had begun. James Lake Morden made one of the smartest business moves of his career by marrying Mackay's daughter Gertrude, he acquired ownership of the Mill for the grand sum of one dollar.
After Mr. Morden died, ownership of the mill passed into the hands of Alfie Shrubb in 1946. As for the mill, it had already seen its heyday and started to decline under Shrubb's ownership. The new trend towards prepared breakfast cereals didn't help any. In the late 1950's he sold the mill to Leo Bierman, an immigrant from Czechoslovakia. Bierman tried to resurrect the business. He had the barley shipped from Winnipeg but after one year he took the entire operation there and brought an end to the age of barley at the red brick mill.
The old building stood empty until the local Rotary Club purchased the Mill property in 1965 and used it as a drop-in centre. Finally in 1973, the town of Bowmanville acquired the Mill for the same price as Mr. Morden paid back in 1929 - one dollar. Council agreed to allow the building to be used as a Visual Arts Centre.