The Mills of the Credit River

The Mills of the Credit River. . , The seemingly tranquil course of the Credit River belies its importance to the early development of our city. The establishment of mills, particularly saw and grist mills, along with the harnessing of water power, was often the catalyst that spurned the development of early villages. , Most of our historic mills do not survive in our modern city. The mills were places of service, industry, employment and key drivers in economic development. Mills were factories where the natural flow of water was converted to mechanical power for industrial purposes prior to the advent of electricity., Historic Mississauga was home to many different types of mills over time, often changing with need, demand, available raw materials, and technological innovations. As mills and the ability to harness water power evolved, the course of the Credit River became dotted with dams, mill ponds and millraces., There were many different types of mills on the Credit River. Grist and flour mills were similar, and most often refer to the refined product that is produced. Grist mills were used to grind grain into cereals, middling, chop and animal feed. Further refining with the development of better machinery could refine the grist into flour., Saw mills and shingle mills were similar in that they harnessed power to drive machinery such as saw blades, splitters and planes. The nature of the moving machinery could make these mills very dangerous places. These mills also tended to be smaller, less permanent structures and were largely dependent on the immediate proximity of the raw material that they processed. Turning mills were factories that used more refined woodworking machines, such as lathes, for making furniture., The Credit River and its tributaries were the focal point for early water-powered industries. Meadowvale, Streetsville, Barberton and Erindale were major industrial centres for milling, and much of their product flowed through the harbour at Port Credit.