Rollande Aylwin was born on this farm in 1934. The land was cleared by her grandfather, who built the first barn in 1912. At that time, the barn served the family’s needs, housing pig pens, a chicken coop, and a sheepfold. Rollande’s father, Gédéon Aylwin, took over the family farm and started a family with Marie-Rose Perron. On June 4, 1942, a violent storm destroyed the barn, and with the help of neighbors, the Aylwin family rebuilt the barns in the weeks following the incident. “We managed to put the hay inside!” recalls Madame Aylwin. She also lent a hand to her parents on the farm, participating in milking the cows by hand. The barns housed between 20 to 35 cows.

Madame Aylwin also reminisces about her task, along with one of her brothers, of fetching the cows from the fields upon their arrival from school. Often, they climbed onto the roofs of the barns, about sixty feet high, to spot the grazing cattle. Knowing the distance, they could decide whether or not to have a snack before going to fetch the herd, which could be a mile away. In 1943, a chicken coop and a grain storage area were added to the southern end of the West barn.

Love took Rollande Aylwin away from the farming world when she married Armand Bilodeau, who worked in the mining industry. However, after a stint in Abitibi, the couple returned to settle in Nédélec, across from the family farm. Mr. Bilodeau built a house and a small barn there. For Rollande, having small cows was essential to provide milk for her children and teach them about work and responsibility.

In 1973, the opportunity arose to repurchase the family farm, which had been sold to a neighbor in the meantime. Madame Aylwin regained her childhood home. The few animals, including 6 cows, were moved to the double barns. Some animals lived there until the early 1990s. No major modifications were made to the barns, except for regular maintenance, which gradually faded as Mr. Bilodeau’s strength diminished.

*These heritage elements are privately owned; please admire them from public roads and paths.