A family fishery

The tradition began in 1902, when my grandfather bought fisheries, namely, the weir fishery at Île aux Patins. He bought it when he purchased concessions on Île aux Patins, Île de la Providence, and Île Brûlée, which belonged to my grandfather. After that, he gradually sold them to his son Maurice Ouellet, our uncle. That’s because my father was a farmer. We’ve always worked for our uncle. I was 10 years old and I was already working as a fisherman. On weekends, we’d install the eel weir, but it’s not like that anymore. In the old days, we used metal fences. Today, it’s all nets, gillnets and hanging nets. They’re quicker to set up and quicker to take down in the fall.

When my grandfather bought Île aux Patins, he built a house on the island to raise his family. My grandfather and grandmother had 17 children. From spring to fall, when the fishing season was open, he was on the island with his family. He would then cross over every day to take the children to school. He would sell his fish by the side of the road. After school, he’d pick up his children. “Awaille” to the island!

Then, when winter arrived, he rented a house. He rented a house at Kamouraska, in Saint-Pascal. He couldn’t have their house because they lived on the island.

There were maybe 25 people there for setting up a fishery. In those days, he was paid in fish because there was no money. He was paid mainly in herring, which arrived by the ton in the spring. All those who worked would go and pick up the herring. They would go straight to the fishery to get it. They would then use the herring to plant potatoes in the spring. They would plant a potato sprout, then a herring, then another potato sprout and another herring.