Winter Travel

            Heavy Snowfalls with drifting snow often blocked the roads in New France and made winter travel difficult. Then the frozen rivers were used as roads for winter travel.

          During the winter, the habitant families had more time to visit friends and relatives. The families usually travel over the snow by sled. The sleds were in the shape of a box with wooden runners and were pulled by a horse. Although slow, they were not easily tipped and could hold as many as ten people. To keep warm, the travellers sat on seats covered with bearskins and wrapped themselves in woollen blankets.

          The picture shows several families arriving by sled at a neighbour’s house. The visitors will go into the house to warm themselves and enjoy a large supper. The horses will be taken into the cozy barn and fed hay.

Summer Travel

            Summer was a busy time for families working on their farms. This is why the early settlers did not travel much in the summertime.

          There were also few roads in New France. Because each farm was close to a river, birchbark canoes were often used to travel by water. Heavy goods were carried on a raft made of wood with a sail to catch the wind.

          On the farm, the farmer used a cart or a sled pulled by a horse to move heavy or bulky things such as wood or hay. People travelling long distances often rode in an open carriage called a caleche. This light and speedy carriage could be pulled by a single horse. Its large wheels helped it pass easily through mud and over holes and ruts along the rough roads.

Winter Travel by the Early Settlers

1.     Why was travel difficult in the winter time? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.     What were frozen rivers used for? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3.     What were the benefits of using the box shaped sled in the winter? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________          

4.     How did the settlers stay warm in the winter? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Summer Travel by the Early Settlers

1.     The early settlers did not travel often in the summer. Why? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.     What were canoes made from? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3.     People traveling long distances in the summer often rode in what? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4.     What animal pulled the carriage? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5.     Why did carriages have such large wheels? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________