The History of the Building

This Market building stands on a piece of land with great historic interest in Grand Falls. In 1889, this parcel of land housed the Burgess Mill, owned and operated by James Burgess Sr. until 1929, when it burned for a second time; this mill had been the largest employer in the Town of Grand Falls. The land remained vacant until 1951 when Leon B. Rideout founded the Valley Co-Operative Limited in order that local potato producers could dispose of their surplus crops. Leon, who always took a great interest in his community, saw the need for a second starch factory which served potato growers from Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, New Denmark, Drummond, Saint-André and the Grand Falls Portage. The Plant which operated 24 hours a day, year round employing up to 50 people at peak capacity ran until new environmental laws forced its closing in 1974.

Following the closing, the building remained vacant until Thomas Equipment took it over for a number of years. It was then turned over to the Town and again remained vacant until 2004 when the municipality received funding from the federal government represented locally by Andy Savoy, M.P., to turn the building into a Community Cultural Centre, which would house the Grand Falls Historic Museum and Farmers' Market.