David Ouellet was born in La Malbaie, Lower Canada, on September 15, 1844, to Édouard Ouellet and Marie Lebel. He began studying at Collège de Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière in 1856 and continued his studies there for the next eight years. After leaving the college, François-Xavier Berlinguet trained him as an architect. Ouellet was also an apprentice carver to Louis Jobin around the same time. Ouellet drew up a relief map of La Pocatière under the tutelage of Abbé Pierre Stanislas Vallée for which he received an honourable mention at the 1867 Universal Exposition in Paris. Ouellet returned to Quebec City in the 1870s after spending some time in Montreal. He was partnered with an ornament making gilder named Louis Alméras from 1874 to 1876 where he learned ornamentation methods of design. Beginning in 1876, Ouellet became a practising architect in Quebec and opened his offices in his home along with his wood carving studio operations.