Homes, Trades and Games of Long Ago · Drawing 10 of 40
Cod drying in the sun
From the 18th century
In the Gaspé, fishermen rowed out in small boats to catch cod. Back on shore, the split fish were laid out on big wooden tables called flakes, to dry in the sun and the wind.
Look together
Where are the fish laid to dry?
An idea to try
Cut a fish out of paper and “dry” it on a rack, turning it every hour. Talk about what keeps food longer: cold, salt or dryness.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
Cod fishing and processing shaped Gaspésie’s history. The Paspébiac National Historic Site dates the establishment of the Robin company’s headquarters at Paspébiac to 1767. Salted, dried fish could be stored and shipped to distant markets. Fish were spread on drying racks called vigneaux.
With your child, look for the stages of the work: bring in, split, salt and dry. The drawing simplifies equipment and movements; it does not reconstruct a particular fishing establishment.
Sources and context (3)
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. Source titles appear in their original language; some linked pages are in French.
- Site historique national de Paspébiac — Un poisson pour nourrir le monde
- Répertoire du patrimoine culturel du Québec — Pêche à la morue
- Site historique national de Paspébiac — Histoire
Source review: 2026-09-19. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.