From Stadacona to the REM · Drawing 11 of 36
The Steamboat
1809
In 1809, a steamboat sailed on the St. Lawrence. Its engine turned big paddle wheels that pushed the water. It could move without waiting for the wind!
Look together
Can you find the big paddle wheel?
An idea to try
Find the paddle wheel in the drawing. Imagine a sailboat with sails that catch the wind, then discuss what replaces that force in a steamboat.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
The Accommodation was launched in Montréal on August 19, 1809. With financing from John Molson among others, it was the first steamboat built in Canada and the first mechanically propelled vessel to sail on the St. Lawrence. Its inaugural trip to Québec City took place from November 1 to 4, 1809, lasting 66 hours including long stops. Its engine drove paddle wheels. The journey was slow, but it heralded the development of steam transport on the river.
The scene lets you compare two ways of moving on the river. Sails use the wind; the boat drawn here has an engine and a paddle wheel. Imagine with your child what happens to a sailboat when the wind drops, then look at the paddle wheel in this drawing. The vessel drawn is an evocation, not an exact reconstruction of the Accommodation.
Sources and illustration notes (1)
An interpreted paddle-wheel boat; it is not an exact reconstruction of the Accommodation.
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.
- Répertoire du patrimoine culturel du Québec — Mise en service de l’Accommodation (in French)The first steamboat built in Canada; launched on August 19, 1809; first trip from Montréal to Québec, November 1 to 4, in 66 hours.
Page prepared on September 19, 2026. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.
This drawing is from the book Québec’s Great Moments to Colour
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