Homes, Trades and Games of Long Ago · Drawing 23 of 40
Waiting for the train
The late 19th century
At that time, people could travel between Québec’s cities by train. On the platform, a man and a child wait with their suitcase. Soon they will get on the train!
Look together
What would you put in your suitcase?
An idea to try
Your child chooses three objects to bring for a night away. Draw them inside a paper suitcase, then talk about what would be useful on the journey and after arriving.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
In February 1879, the Québec, Montréal, Ottawa and Occidental Railway opened a direct rail connection between Montréal and Québec City along the north shore. The chronology of UQAM’s Laboratoire d’histoire et de patrimoine de Montréal gives this date, drawing on Histoire de Québec et de sa région. Our drawing does not show an identified station: it evokes waiting for a train journey.
With your child, imagine what would go into a suitcase for a few days. The question brings an old situation close to their experience without inventing where the characters are going. To go further, Exporail in Saint-Constant was founded in 1961; its mission includes preserving and sharing railway heritage.
Sources and illustration notes (2)
An imaginary station, travellers and luggage suggesting the late 19th century; no particular station is reproduced.
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.
- Exporail — History of ExporailMuseum founded in 1961 in Saint-Constant, devoted to railway heritage.
- UQAM, Laboratoire d’histoire et de patrimoine de Montréal — Chemin de fer Québec Montréal Ottawa & Occidental (in French)Opening in February 1879 of the direct Montréal–Québec rail link on the north shore; reference to Marc Vallières and co-authors, p. 1112.
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 Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.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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