Homes, Trades and Games of Long Ago · Drawing 07 of 40
Water from the well
Since the days of New France
Before running water, there was no tap in the house. A bucket was lowered into the well, then the crank was turned to bring it back up full of water.
Look together
What do you turn to bring the bucket up?
An idea to try
With an empty bucket or basket, act out a trip from an imaginary well to a house. Name uses of water that might require several trips.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
At Maison Saint-Gabriel, the well has stood in the same spot since the 1660s and was used into the 1940s, even after running water reached the farm in 1868. Old and new lived side by side for a long time: in Montréal, a private network distributed water to some customers from 1801. Running water did not reach every home at the same time. Carried water could be used for drinking, cooking, washing or watering animals.
For your child, the bucket, the rope and the crank make visible the work it took to bring water into the house. Count together the moments of a day that need water, and imagine how many trips that would be. The well in the drawing is generic; the dates come from the well documented at Maison Saint-Gabriel.
Sources and illustration notes (2)
An imaginary well and person; the documented dates refer to the Maison Saint-Gabriel site.
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.
- Maison Saint-Gabriel — EducationWell in the same spot since the 1660s, running water on the farm in 1868, and the well still used into the 1940s.
- MEM — Trop d’eau, et pourtant pas assez (in French)Private water distribution network set up in 1801 for some customers; later developments, without reaching every house.
Page prepared on September 15, 2026. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.
This drawing is from the book Life in Old Québec to Colour
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