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The Last Water Powered Sawmill

In Balaclava, ON, the crumbling structure of the last commercially functioning water-powered sawmill is holding on for dear life. Built in 1855, it operated on Constant Creek using water turbines as its power source right up until its final days in 1967.

Why hasn't such an important historical structure been saved? Why has it not been converted into a working museum like other sawmills?

Follow along as we dig into the history of the mill, talk to the current owner, hunt down preserved machinery, and try to answer the burning question - why was the mill not saved!

  • David Bouthillier
    Director
  • David Bouthillier
    Filmmaker
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    22 minutes 18 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 2, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    1,000 CAD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital 4K DCI
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.90:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - David Bouthillier

David grew up in the Ottawa Valley. During high school, he developed an interest in black & white and slide film photography. Over the years, his creative interest lead him to videography, which resulted in a popular YouTube channel in 2009.

In 2018 he launched GLASSGLOWZ Media with his wife Ange, focusing on motorsports event photography and videography. Combining his hobby of hunting down ghost towns and abandoned places, David has been finding ways to merge his photographic creativity with his passion for all things old and forgotten.

David currently lives in Fitzroy Harbour, Ontario, with his wife and two children.

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