This year’s Semaine nationale de la généalogie (National Genealogy Week) in Quebec runs from November 23 to 30. It is organized by the Fédération québécoises des sociétés généalogiques (Quebec Federation of Genealogical Societies).
Genealogists in la belle province will be encouraged to dive into the world of the trades and professions of their ancestors and to discover and better understand their life journey.
There are a number of activities, such as open doors and workshops, across the province, but there are much fewer than a few years ago. All activities, but one, are in person. Unfortunately, not one English-language society or organization is participating.
The Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, however, will host a free virtual presentation, in French, called, Comprendre les bases de la recherche généalogique, on Monday, November 25, at noon Eastern time.
As for the trades and professions of your Quebec ancestors, the Fédération offers suggestions.
Even before the arrival of Europeans the Indigenous practiced hunting, fishing, agriculture, the making of clothing, and the production of useful objects.
At the time of New France, the first Europeans exported their expertise and techniques that were essential to the development of the colony while assimilating the knowledge of the Indigenous. The economy was largely based on the fur trade, and defending the territory was a major challenge that required the permanent presence of soldiers. In addition to senior officials dedicated to administration and justice, there were surveyors and notaries, merchants and traders, coureurs des bois, indentured servants and artisans, domestics and slaves, and health workers.
Under the British Regime, industrialization transformed the economy, which now relied, in addition to agriculture, on the lumber industry and the manufacturing sector. The printing press and the emergence of newspapers accelerated the transmission of information and knowledge to the entire population. This situation, combined with the establishment of a public school system, the reorganization of justice and land management, as well as the development of a rail and road network, consolidated the need for specialized labour. New trades and professions emerged, such as lawyers, factory workers, lumberjacks, stevedores, postmasters, teachers, notaries, school commissioners and inspectors, land agents, railway workers, aldermen, station masters, journalists, and publishers.
The 20th century marked the beginning of the modern era where the introduction of great inventions revolutionized the world of communications — telegraph, telephone, radio, television, internet — as well as that of transportation with the rise of the automobile, aviation, and great transatlantic liners. In the middle of the 20th century, education, now accessible to all, opened the way for women. Added to this was technological innovation in the scientific, domestic, medical and computer fields, which changed the way things were done. As a result, several jobs and professions disappeared in favour of others better adapted to the new reality.
The French-Canadian Genealogist website has an interesting section, called Occupations in New France and Canada, that includes the 10 worst jobs in New France. By the way, two of the worst jobs are housewife and rat catcher.
