History:Â
Milnet (originally named Sellwood Junction up to 1916) began as a stop along the Canadian Northern Railway. In 1917, after the railway was laid down, the Marshay Lumber Company built a mill and began a 22-year process of cutting trees from the area. Men from logging camps upstream would let the Vermilion River carry the logs to the mill in Milnet.
-Wikipedia
Personal Commentary:Â
The first time I arrived here, I couldn't help but notice one of Milnet's most prominent features, the stone fireplace and chimney. When you see this, especially first hand, you can't help but be impressed by the craftsmanship that must have gone into this. Not only has it survived the test of time, but also survived the demise of the house to which it belonged, and the elements it's endured since. You don't see that quality of work much any more.
That aside, as I began to explore this small hamlet, I started to understand why those few who are still living here continue to do so. This is a pretty quiet corner of the world, with small lake behind that just seems the very definition of serene.
The foundations and the depressions in the ground suggesting the sites of former buildings are evidence of what once was, but amid that quiet solitude, it's difficult to imagine Milnet for the bustling centre it once was.