Shawinigan

Shawinigan’s rich past never fails to impress. Deeply tied to the Saint-Maurice River, which winds through the region, the city first attracted artists and tourists who came to admire the postcard-perfect scenery of its waterfalls.

In the 19th century, Shawinigan began its industrial journey by harnessing the hydroelectric power of those same falls. During the era of the log drives, the Saint-Maurice River—then covered with floating timber!—served as a transportation route linking northern logging camps to the paper mills in Shawinigan and Trois-Rivières (you can learn more about this fascinating history at the Village du Bûcheron). Two names stand out from that period: the Shawinigan Water and Power Company (SW&P) and Laurentide, which respectively spearheaded the development of Shawinigan and Grand-Mère.

The SW&P was behind the arrival of major industries such as Belgo and Alcan, and it also commissioned the firm T. Pringle and Son to design an urban development plan—making Shawinigan one of the first cities in Canada to benefit from one! The goal? To model the city after New York, as shown by Broadway Avenue, the numbered street grid (with “5th Street” as its main artery), and the green spaces woven right into the city centre.

Thanks to its nine hydroelectric plants along the Saint-Maurice River, SW&P elevated Canada to the world’s second-largest producer of electricity, just behind the United States. At its peak, Shawinigan powered 700 towns and 50,000 farms across 650,000 km². When it was built, Shawinigan-2 was the most powerful hydroelectric plant in North America—and it remains today the oldest Hydro-Québec facility still in operation.

Shawinigan also played an important role during World War II, producing munitions, aircraft parts, and other materials that contributed to the Allied victory.

By the 1960s, the city’s industrial activity began to decline, gradually giving way to adventure tourism. The logs disappeared from the Saint-Maurice River, replaced by pleasure boats. The towering smokestacks of the great mills faded from view, while nature tourism—supported by the stunning landscapes of La Mauricie National Park, Parc de l’île Melville, and the Saint-Maurice River—grew steadily to the delight of today’s visitors.

Source: Community Stories – https://www.communitystories.ca/v2/riviere-saint-maurice_river/

If Shawinigan’s history isn’t impressive enough, the territory (which today includes seven municipalities, each hiding its own treasures—Shawinigan, Shawinigan-Sud, Lac-à-la-Tortue, Grand-Mère, Saint-Georges-de-Champlain, Saint-Gérard-des-Laurentides, and Saint-Jean-des-Piles) has a few more surprises up its sleeve! 👇

1. Lac-à-la-Tortue is where bush aviation was born, thanks to forestry engineer Ellwood Wilson. In 1919, he proposed a new method to detect forest fires: flying over the forest in a seaplane. ✈️
2. Canots Cadorette, located in Saint-Jean-des-Piles, was a pioneer in canoe manufacturing and the first lightweight boat company in Mauricie. It built the canoes used by all athletes in the second edition of the Mauricie International Canoe Classic (founded in 1934). The spirit of this local heritage still lives on in places like Maison Cadorette and other village businesses. 🛶
3. Shawinigan is the birthplace of former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. A museum dedicated to him can be visited at the Cité de l’énergie, where visitors can also learn about the city’s industrial past. 🇨🇦

Tourisme Mauricie is a bit like a loving mom. She has six “kids” — the six territories of the region — and she loves them all equally (well, almost. Everyone knows the mischievous one is always the most endearing 🤫). And as a good, impartial mother, she’ll tell you that all her children are the BEST. So don’t hesitate to reach out for advice and activity ideas about each territory! (Did we really just compare ourselves to a mom who bakes cookies?)