Discovering Ontario · Drawing 12 of 32
Inside a Longhouse
Crawford Lake
At Crawford Lake, visitors can step inside a reconstructed longhouse. Fire pits line the middle. On each side, platforms were used for sleeping and storing food.
Did you know?
This longhouse was rebuilt where an Iroquoian village stood about 600 years ago.
Look together
How many fire pits can you count down the middle?
An idea to try
Draw a longhouse seen from above: an aisle, fire pits and platforms.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
Excavations at Crawford Lake revealed longhouse traces and many everyday objects. The buildings seen today are reconstructions. Inside, fire pits ran down the centre aisle; two families often shared one hearth. Food such as dried corn was stored high on platforms along the walls. The drawing shows the interior without people. Iroquoian describes a cultural and linguistic tradition here; it does not automatically identify the village with one present-day nation. Indigenous peoples also form living communities today.
Sources and illustration notes (2)
Simplified interpretation for colouring. Settings and people may be combined or imagined. Details, distances and proportions are not a measured record of the place.
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. References identify the institution and the related lesson; some linked pages are in French.
- Conservation Halton: Crawford LakePlace, history or natural feature described on this page.
- The Canadian Encyclopedia — LonghouseHearths down the middle, often shared by two families; sleeping platforms; corn stored on platforms high on the walls.
Page prepared on October 2, 2026. Illustrations are simplified for colouring.
This drawing is from the book My Ontario to Colour
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