Brainteasers, Riddles and Curious Facts

A Lesson Plan for the Place-Royale from the Present to the Past Web Site

www.mcq.org/place-royale/

Introduction

A tiny point of land nestled between Cap Diamant and the St. Lawrence River, Place-Royale stands as a major witness to our history.

Traces of Aboriginal activity dating back nearly 5,000 years were found at Place-Royale. It is also the site of the first permanent French settlement in America, which grew and evolved into New France. The architecture of the square largely reflects this early period, although evidence of the change in empire is visible as well . . . Then, the rapid population growth in Upper Canada, the development of shipping channels and the construction of railways brought new changes to the district, which can still be seen today. Over time, however, the elite gradually moved out of the area and the site fell into decline. Renewed hope came in the late 1950s, specifically in 1957, when the government came to recognize its inherent historic value. Major restoration projects were thus carried out as a means of recreating the past and breathing new life into the area.

Boasting a wealth of theme-based texts and a variety of documentaries, a catalogue of collections and archives, panoramic photographs of the area and a rallye that can be done either virtually or on location, the Place-Royale from the Present to the Past Web site provides a sweeping overview of the area and the periods of history that left their mark. As such, it features a number of objects of interpretation and social phenomena covered in the Québec Education Program’s History and Citizenship Education program, from the first occupants to the modernization of Québec society.

1. Teaching aims

This lesson plan provides a motivating way for students to explore the Web site content. The proposed Webquest features four riddles based on real facts. To solve the riddles, students have to answer 12 questions by searching through the various sections of the Web site. They then transfer some of the letters in the answers to a grid provided in order to find the mystery word.

Each section of the Brainteasers, Riddles and Curious Facts Webquest encourages students to explore all of the periods of history as witnessed by Place-Royale, as well as associated images and artefacts from collections. However, since the four activities differ, students will not all have the same questions and observe the same artefacts and images. Hence the importance of pooling information for a group discussion in the classroom.

2. Targeted classes and subject areas

This lesson plan targets Cycle Two secondary students in Québec (Secondary 3 and 4) as well as students in grades 9 to 12 in other provinces of Canada studying the History and Citizenship Education program.

3. Objectives and competences

1. Help students develop their understanding of the present in the light of the past;
2. Contribute to the development of the following competences:
   • Examines social phenomena from a historical perspective;
   • Interprets social phenomena using the historical method;
   • Constructs his/her consciousness of citizenship through the study of history.

4. Description of the activity

4.1 Activity contents

The activity is broken down into three stages: the rallye, the Webquest and the group discussion.

Rallye
The rallye has 12 checkpoints that familiarize students with the site and history of Place-Royale. You can do the rallye on location at Place-Royale or in class, via the Web site.

Duration of the rallye at Place-Royale (real tour): approximately 3 hours
Duration of the rallye in class (virtual tour): approximately 1 hour

Webquest
Students choose one of the quest’s four riddles. They then go to the Place-Royale from the Present to the Past Web site, where they search through the themed texts and biographies of significant historical figures, as well as the catalogue of collections and archives, to answer specific questions. They transfer some of the letters from their answers to a grid, which, once completed, will reveal their riddle’s mystery word.

Duration: 1 to 2 hours

Group discussion
Since the riddles cover different themes, you will need to plan for time after the Webquest to pool each group’s information.

Duration: 1 hour

4.2 Required materials, documents and resources (depending on context)

Rallye at Place-Royale (real tour)
Students can do the rallye on site at Place-Royale, receiving audio commentary on their smart phone (iPhone, Blackberry or other) or MP3 player.

Required preparations:
- Smart phone users can connect on location to the mobile version of the Web site and access all of its resources;
- MP3 users will have to download podcasts ahead of time and print the map of the area if they cannot view images with their device;
- If the use of mobile technology is not the preferred option or possible, students can do the rallye using printouts and the itinerary.

Rallye via the Web site (virtual tour)
The rallye is done using interactive features and 360-degree panoramas on the Web site.

Quest and group discussion
You will need the following for the Webquest and group discussion:
- A computer with Internet access for each team of two to three students;
- Access to the Place-Royale from the Present to the Past Web site;
- Worksheets for the riddles chosen by each team;
- Riddle answer keys.

4.3 Teacher preparations

To prepare for the activity, the teacher should:
- Visit all the sections of the Place-Royale from the Present to the Past Web site;
- Personally do the rallye;
- Review the lesson plan;
- Evaluate the riddles proposed and their accompanying questionnaires, as well as the “Answer Keys” section of the Webquest

4.4 Exercise

Background information
The teacher presents the Place-Royale site, locates it geographically and highlights its historic importance.

Motivation
The archaeology and history of a place often have surprises in store . . . Place-Royale is no exception! Sometimes discoveries reveal a radical change in habits or mentality; sometimes they uncover the most unexpected facts!
Not only does the Webquest promote students’ knowledge of the site and its history, it also helps them to solve a riddle or discover a surprising fact!

Presenting and choosing riddles
Students divide into teams of two or three. The teacher reads the riddles, without giving the answers, and each team chooses one:

1. I was a genuine men’s fashion phenomenon. It can be said without a doubt that I contributed to the founding of Québec… What am I?
   (Answer: beaver top hat)
2. Believe it or not, I was incredibly popular in New France! I was credited with many therapeutic virtues and everyone tried me: men, women and even children. Since then, your science has intervened and decided differently! What am I?
   (Answer: use of tobacco)
3. I was a common practice in the early days of the colony. Today, you wouldn’t even think of it! At that time, however, I was the reason people were very careful when walking around town!
   (Answer: tossing sewage into the street)
4. I am a protective device used to prevent robbers . . . and big cats from stealing the provisions preciously stored in the 27 vaulted cellars of Place-Royale. My name alone is enough to send shivers up your spine . . . What am I?
   (Answer: an étripe-chat)

Enhancing knowledge
You cannot go on a Webquest without proper knowledge of the terrain . . . Students start by doing the rallye to get a good feel for the area. They move through the rallye’s 12 checkpoints to discover the highlights of Place-Royale and the traces of its historical past. Observation, listening and reading skills—not to mention good cooperation—are the keys to success!
Students’ efforts are rewarded: with three correct answers, they reach “Amateur” level; six and they are an “Explorer”; eight, a “Discoverer”; and twelve, “Champion of the hour”.
As a bonus, for each correct answer, students also receive an e-postcard.
Students could let teachers know how they are doing by sending them e-postcards with their score.

Performing the exercise
Once teams have chosen a riddle, they write down a hypothetical answer on their worksheet. Then, by searching through the different sections of the Place-Royale from the Present to the Past Web site, students answer the questions taking care to transfer the numbered letters in their answers to the right box in the grid at the bottom of the last page.

Sharing and integrating information
The teacher hands out the answer keys. Students check their answers, read the text entitled “Did you know . . .” and share their discoveries. They compare the correct solution with the one they had originally chosen. Together, they share what they have learned and the difficulties they encountered.

Delving deeper
The teacher makes links between the subjects covered in each of the riddles and other disciplines or broad learning areas. The teacher could also make links with current societal issues. A research project, discussion forum or oral presentation are just a few of the activities that can be used to explore these phenomena.
Here are a few examples of theme-based questions:

• What influence does fashion still have today on the world economy? On the environment? What parallels can be made between the era of great discoveries and the era of globalization?
• Was the habit of smoking really so widespread? Was tobacco truly credited with a variety of medicinal virtues? When and how did science succeed in reversing these beliefs?
• What repercussions did personal hygiene practices have on public health? What epidemics swept through North America? Were poor sanitary measures the sole cause of these epidemics? When did Québec City and the other cities build a waterworks system?
• What kinds of goods were stored in vaulted cellars? What were the properties of this type of construction? What did people eat in New France? In Lower Canada? When were iceboxes first used?

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Brainteasers, Riddles and Curious Facts - Student Worksheet 1

Place-Royale from the Present to the Past - www.mcq.org/place-royale/

Names of team members:

 

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What do you think is the answer to this riddle?

 

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To solve this riddle and check your answer, search through the Place-Royale from the Present to the Past Web site and answer the questions below. Write the letters of your answers in the boxes provided. The title in italics and the icon on the right indicate what section to look in, while the title on the left refers to a heading of this section. To access these headings, use the menu on the left-hand side of the Web page. In Collections and Archives, you will have to use the search tool. Go to Image Bank and select Collections and Archives. In Section, choose: Theme. The Sub-section field will appear. Select the title that is shown in the question and click Search. Once you have found all of the answers, transfer the numbered letters to the boxes with matching numbers at the end of the questionnaire. Good luck!

1. (Themes) Prehistory and Aboriginal People
   Complete the sentence: Around 4,000 years ago, the Aboriginal communities forged links among themselves, as shown by the stylistic borrowings in their . . . decoration.
   Answer :
2. (Themes) The Founding of Québec
   In the Collections and Archives repertoire, a painting by Charles William Jefferys depicts Champlain overseeing construction of his habitation. What colour are the founder’s socks? They are . . .
   Answer :
3. (Themes) The Capture of Québec by the Kirke Brothers
   Complete the sentence: In 1628, a fleet of three English ships landed at . . . and took possession of the port.
   Answer :
4. (Collections et archives) Fire!
   In the Collections and Archives repertoire, a painting by an unknown artist depicts a fire that destroyed a convent in 1686. What religious order did it belong to? The . . .
   Answer :
5. (Themes) The Attack by Admiral Phips
   The signing of a treaty in 1713 resulted in the British gaining more and more control of the passageway to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. What was the name of this treaty?
   Answer :
6. (Themes) Québec: A Port City
   From the time of Champlain, what was the name of the bay that formed a natural harbour bordering Place-Royale? The . . .
   Answer :
7. (Themes) The Siege of 1759 and the Battle of the Plains of Abraham
   In 1763, while New France had a mere 65,000 to 80,000 inhabitants, how many inhabitants (from the British Isles, other European countries—mainly France—and Africa) were there in Britain’s neighbouring Thirteen Colonies? More than a . . .
   Answer :
8. (Collections et archives) Place-Royale: A Public Square
   In the Collections and Archives repertoire, an engraving entitled Le marché Finlay et ses quais (Finlay Market and wharves) shows the second market created around 1820. What colour is the hull of the boat illustrated on the right? It is . . .
   Answer :
9. (Themes) The American Invasion
   Complete the sentence: Almost everywhere they went, the American . . . received some support from Québec's francophone inhabitants.
   Answer :
10. (Themes) A Time of Transition
    Complete the sentence: It was not long before competition with . . . reduced the impact of Québec’s port on trade circuits: it fell from the rank of an international hub to a regional port. Dredging of the St. Lawrence River made it possible to develop a better understanding of the seabed.
    Answer :
11. (Collections et archives) Preserving Québec’s Heritage
    In the Collections and Archives repertoire, you can find photographs of two houses before and after restoration work. They are the Leber and . . . Houses.
    Answer :
12. (Themes) The Centre d'interprétation de Place-Royale
    Complete the sentence: The Centre d'interprétation de Place-Royale is located on the site of the . . . Houses.
    Answer :

Answer :

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Brainteasers, Riddles and Curious Facts - Student Worksheet 2

Place-Royale from the Present to the Past - www.mcq.org/place-royale/

Names of team members:

 

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What do you think is the answer to this riddle?

 

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To solve this riddle and check your answer, search through the Place-Royale from the Present to the Past Web site and answer the questions below. Write the letters of your answers in the boxes provided. The title in italics and the icon on the right indicate what section to look in, while the title on the left refers to a heading of this section. To access these headings, use the menu on the left-hand side of the Web page. In Collections and Archives, you will have to use the search tool. Go to Image Bank and select Collections and Archives. In Section, choose: Theme. The Sub-section field will appear. Select the title that is shown in the question and click Search. Once you have found all of the answers, transfer the numbered letters to the boxes with matching numbers at the end of the questionnaire. Good luck!

1. (Themes) Prehistory and Aboriginal People
   The earliest traces of Aboriginal peoples at Place-Royale lead us to believe that sometimes the men and women climbed the cape to look out over the St. Lawrence River or to gather plants from the highlands. What kind of plants were they?
   Answer :
2. (Collections and Archives) The Founding of Québec
   Complete the sentence: During the 1630s, nearly a thousand Aboriginal people would gather near Québec during the summer months to discuss business and . . . with the French.
   Answer :
3. (Historical Figures) David Kirke and his Brothers
   What was the name of the Kirke Brothers’ father?
   Answer :
4. (Collections et archives) Fire!
   In the Collections and Archives repertoire, you can find an object that was used to fight fires around 1850. What is it? A fire . . .
   Answer :
5. (Historical Figures) Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac
   Where did Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac, die in 1698?
   Answer :
6. (Collections and Archives) Québec: A Port City
   In the Collections and Archives repertoire, you can find an illustration from a book entitled: Le parfait negociant, ou, Instruction generale pour ce qui regarde le commerce des marchandises de France, & des pays etrangers… (The perfect merchant, or, A general instruction concerning the trade of goods from France and foreign countries…) In the foreground of the picture, how many men are wearing a hat?
   Answer :
7. (Themes) The Siege of 1759 and the Battle of the Plains of Abraham
   Many houses were burned down and destroyed during the attacks of 1759, although some of them managed to retain their stone walls. This is the case of a house built in 1752. Which one? The . . . House.
   Answer :
8. (Themes) Place-Royale: A Public Square
   What would happen in New France if there were a shortage of bread on the shelves? The baker was subject to a . . .
   Answer :
9. (Historical Figures) Richard Montgomery
   While Montcalm was given this rank before the age of 10, Montgomery obtained it when he was 20. What rank is it?
   Answer :
10. (Collections and Archives) A Time of Transition
    In the Collections and Archives repertoire, a photograph entitled La vie quotidienne dans la rue du Petit-Champlain à Québec (Everyday life on rue du Petit-Champlain) shows a scene from the neighbourhood around 1880. What is the street made of?
    Answer :
11. (Themes) Preserving Québec’s Heritage
    Complete the sentence: In 1964, the Chambre de commerce de Québec passed a resolution to establish a non-profit corporation in charge of starting up a . . . program for Place-Royale.
    Answer :
12. (Themes) The Centre d'interprétation de Place-Royale
    Complete the sentence: Archaeological remains that date back 3,000 to 2,000 years before Christ give a voice to the first . . . of this land.
    Answer :

Answer :

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Brainteasers, Riddles and Curious Facts - Student Worksheet 3

Place-Royale from the Present to the Past - www.mcq.org/place-royale/

Names of team members:

 

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What do you think is the answer to this riddle?

 

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To solve this riddle and check your answer, search through the Place-Royale from the Present to the Past Web site and answer the questions below. Write the letters of your answers in the boxes provided. The title in italics and the icon on the right indicate what section to look in, while the title on the left refers to a heading of this section. To access these headings, use the menu on the left-hand side of the Web page. In Collections and Archives, you will have to use the search tool. Go to Image Bank and select Collections and Archives. In Section, choose: Theme. The Sub-section field will appear. Select the title that is shown in the question and click Search. Once you have found all of the answers, transfer the numbered letters to the boxes with matching numbers at the end of the questionnaire. Good luck!

1. (Collections and Archives) Prehistory and Aboriginal People
   On the drawing by Horatio Walker, where is the Aboriginal watching the arrival of Jacques Cartier?
   Answer :
2. (Historical Figures) Pierre Dugua de Mons
   Of what religion was Pierre Dugua de Mons, lieutenant general of New France from 1603 to 1612?
   Answer :
3. (Collections and Archives) The Founding of Québec
   In the Collections and Archives repertoire, an object made of a lead and pewter alloy, from the 1624-1688 period, may have been used by Samuel de Champlain to correspond with France. What object is it?
   Answer :
4. (Themes) Fire!
   During the 1670s, what were inhabitants prohibited from leaving in the streets? Manure and . . .
   Answer :
5. (Themes) The Attack by Admiral Phips
   In 1690, Place-Royale was a small town of 300 people. There were about a dozen stores and how many houses? Around . . .
   Answer :
6. (Themes) Québec: A Port City
   Complete the sentence: When the “King’s Daughters” started arriving in New France, single men were given a warning: those who did not find a wife within two weeks would be prohibited from hunting, . . . and trading with the Aboriginal people.
   Answer :
7. (Historical Figures) Louis-Joseph de Montcalm
   Louis-Joseph de Montcalm was steered toward a military career an early age: he was commissioned an ensign before the age of 10. What rank did he obtain by the age of 17?
   Answer :
8. (Themes) Place-Royale: A Public Square
   Complete the sentence: In 1720, shoppers on Place-Royale could choose from over seventy varieties of . . .
   Answer :
9. (Themes) The American Invasion
   Intent on ending the siege and preventing further attacks on the city, who ordered his men to set fire to the Saint-Nicolas and Saint-Roch districts?
   Answer :
10. (Themes) A Time of Transition
    When there was a downturn in Québec City’s port activity during the 19th century, which institutions, in addition to the press, moved into the area? . . . institutions
    Answer :
11. (Themes) Preserving Québec’s Heritage
    Complete the sentence: In 1985, the historic district received the prestigious recognition of being listed as a UNESCO World . . . Site.
    Answer :
12. (Collections and Archives) The Centre d'interprétation de Place-Royale
    In the Collections and Archives repertoire, you can find a photograph entitled Animation devant le Centre d'interprétation de Place-Royale (Bustling life in front of the Centre d'interprétation de Place-Royale). What is the name of the chapel in the background? Notre-Dame-des-…
    Answer :

Answer :

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Brainteasers, Riddles and Curious Facts - Student Worksheet 4

Place-Royale from the Present to the Past - www.mcq.org/place-royale/

Names of team members:

 

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What do you think is the answer to this riddle?

 

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To solve this riddle and check your answer, search through the Place-Royale from the Present to the Past Web site and answer the questions below. Write the letters of your answers in the boxes provided. The title in italics and the icon on the right indicate what section to look in, while the title on the left refers to a heading of this section. To access these headings, use the menu on the left-hand side of the Web page. In Collections and Archives, you will have to use the search tool. Go to Image Bank and select Collections and Archives. In Section, choose: Theme. The Sub-section field will appear. Select the title that is shown in the question and click Search. Once you have found all of the answers, transfer the numbered letters to the boxes with matching numbers at the end of the questionnaire. Good luck!

1. (Themes) Prehistory and Aboriginal People
   Complete the sentence: Jacques Cartier never did create strong ties with the Aboriginal people, mainly because he . . . their chiefs and warriors, ignored the constraints and limits the chiefs tried to place on him, did not respect their culture and failed to keep his promises to them.
   Answer :
2. (Collections and Archives) The Founding of Québec
   Until the 19th century, wampums—belts with shell beads—were often used in diplomatic rituals. How many circles are on the one in the Collections and Archives repertoire? Spell out your answer in letters.
   Answer :
3. (Themes) The Capture of Québec by the Kirke Brothers
   Complete the sentence: Since the war between France and England had ended three months before the Kirke Brothers took control of Québec in 1629, their capture of New France was . . .
   Answer :
4. (Themes) Fire!
   What is the store of stacked firewood called in New France? The . . .
   Answer :
5. (Themes) The Attack by Admiral Phips
   In October 1690, when William Phips was positioned before Québec, he sent a major to meet with Frontenac and demand the surrender of the city. What was the envoy’s last name?
   Answer :
6. (Collections and Archives) Québec: A Port City
   In the 17th century, trunks could be found in almost every house in the colony. They were used for travelling, but had countless other uses as well, such as for storing things. You can find one of these trunks in the Collections and Archives. What type of wood was used to make it?
   Answer :
7. (Historical Figures) Louis-Joseph de Montcalm
   On the left side of the page, there is an engraving entitled La mort de Montcalm (The Death of Montcalm) by Juste Chevillet, based on a painting by François-Louis-Joseph Watteau. What animal is shown on the right? A . . .
   Answer :
8. (Collections and Archives) Place-Royale: A Public Square
   In the Collections and Archives repertoire, a watercolour entitled La Place du marché de la basse-ville vue du quai McCullum (Place du marché, Lower Town, viewed from Quai McCullum) shows the second market created around 1820. What can be seen on the water in the left of the picture? A . . .
   Answer :
9. (Collections and Archives) The American Invasion
   In the Collections and Archives repertoire, you can find an engraving entitled Résistance à l'attaque de l'armée du général Arnold, à Québec en 1775 (Resistance against the attack on Québec by General Arnold’s army, 1775). How many buildings are there?
   Answer :
10. (Themes) A Time of Transition
    Complete the sentence: Québec City carried far less weight on the North American and international scene in the 19th century due, among other reasons, to the rapid . . . growth in Upper Canada/Canada West (now Ontario) during the late 18th century.
    Answer :
11. (Themes) Preserving Québec’s Heritage
    The idea of recreating and revitalizing Place-Royale took shape in 1957 with the reconstruction of which building? The . . . Hotel
    Answer :
12. (Themes) The Centre d'interprétation de Place-Royale
    Complete the sentence: Rather than attempt to keep visitors between its walls, the Centre d'interprétation de Place-Royale opens onto Place-Royale and provides them with keys to a better appreciation of the site’s history and . . .
    Answer :

Answer :

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Brainteasers, Riddles and Curious Facts - Answer Keys

Answers - 1

Did you know . . .

Beaver felt hats were all the rage in 17th-century fashion, even though the animal was close to extinction in Europe. Consequently, there was great demand for Canadian beaver, which was considered to be of excellent quality. An estimated 25 million beaver pelts were sent to France from the colony during the period of 1660 to 1760.

During this time, European hat-makers paid a great deal for “coat beaver”, the term used for skins that had been worn as coats by the Aboriginals. They made the coats with the best part of the pelt, along the back, and wore them with the fur against their skin. This rubbed off the guard hair, leaving only the undercoat or “beaver wool” which was used to make hat felt. What is more, the Aboriginals greased their bodies for protection from the cold. The precious beaver wool thus became impregnated with grease, sweat and dirt, making felting even easier. “Parchment beaver” was the term used for pelts trapped for immediate trade and was therefore less in demand.

Throughout the 17th century, beaver represented approximately 80 per cent of fur exports to France. In addition to beaver, however, other pelts used to make fur garments (sable, racoon, otter, bear, fox, muskrat, wolverine, wolf) were also exported to France, as well as hides used for leathermaking (moose, deer, caribou).

Answers - 2

Did you know . . .

When the Europeans discovered tobacco in America, they credited it with a variety of therapeutic virtues. Not only was it considered a remedy to evacuate harmful “humours”, it was also thought to be capable of fighting fatigue, curbing hunger, quenching thirst and aiding sleep.

Tobacco was enjoyed for its taste and for the pleasure its consumption procured. Everyone in New France consumed tobacco: the rich and the poor, men and women, even children. Tobacco was given in large quantities to solders on duty, along with their ration of pork and bread. Tobacco rations were even allotted for prisoners: since tobacco was believed to reduce one’s appetite, the hope was that these men would be less costly to feed!

Basically, everyone consumed tobacco . . . However, the way in which it was consumed varied according to social circles. Generally speaking, the common people (labourers, craftsmen, day workers) smoked a pipe, while the wealthy and women preferred snuffing tobacco, i.e. inhaling a little pinch up the nose.

Archaeological digs have unearthed 33,000 pipe fragments and 2,000 whole pipes from beneath Place-Royale.

Answers - 3

Did you know . . .

From the early days of the colony until the mid-19th century, the streets of Place-Royale—like those of the entire city and all other cities for that matter—were dirty and putrid.

And yet, as early as 1673, Frontenac tried to solve the problem by ordering homeowners to build latrines (outdoor toilets), prohibiting them from keeping livestock, urging residents to clean in front of their lodgings and to transport sewage and rubbish to the St. Lawrence River at low tide, and enjoining them to pave on a slope the section of street in front of their house, leaving a gutter in the centre to serve as an open sewer.

Obviously, these regulations had little effect, since they were renewed, reformulated, reinforced and increased for almost two centuries. And so the habit of tossing everything into the street persisted: wastewater, table scraps and even the contents of chamber pots were simply thrown out the window with the mere cry of “Gardy loos!” (derived from the French “Gare à l’eau” meaning “Beware of the water!”). No doubt passers-by had to be extremely careful!

This lack of hygiene made young children particularly vulnerable to epidemics. Jean-Louis Fornel and his wife, two merchants on Place-Royale, could attest to this fact. Nine of their fourteen children died before reaching adulthood. Some of them may have been victims of the measles epidemic that claimed the lives of a great many children in Québec City and the surrounding area in 1730, or the smallpox epidemic of 1733.

Answers - 4

Did you know . . .

Québec City boasts no fewer than 65 residential vaulted cellars, including 27 on Place-Royale alone. These structures were the larders of old. Since they maintain a constant temperature in all seasons, they were used to store all kinds of perishable goods, including wine, beer, rum, spirits, vinegar, oil, butter, cheese, salt pork, salt salmon, moose meat, and various types of fruits and vegetables. The cellars also helped to insulate the house from humidity in the lower level and to reinforce the main floor.

Because the cellars had windows for ventilation, owners needed to install bars on the windows to prevent break-ins. The type of ironwork used is called a window grate, herse (portcullis) or étripe-chat (cat-gutter). Examples of the cat-gutter can be found on several houses in Place-Royale. It consists of a rectangular strip of wrought iron with curved pieces ending in a point along either side.

You can visit the vaulted cellars of the Hazeur-Smith Houses at the Centre d'interprétation de Place-Royale and those of the Pagé-Quercy House at the Musée de la civilisation.