Daniel-Johnson Dam and Manic-5 Power Station

Built between 1959 and 1971 as part of the vast Manic-Outardes complex, the Daniel-Johnson Dam—originally known as Manic-5—captured the Quebec imagination by becoming, during Montreal's 1967 Expo, a living symbol of the province's accelerated modernization, with its concrete-pouring work broadcast live on a giant screen at the Quebec Industries Pavilion. The structure required nearly three million cubic metres of concrete for its thirteen arches and fourteen buttresses—a quantity sufficient, according to a frequently cited comparison, to build a sidewalk stretching between the two poles of the planet. Upstream, the dam creates the Manicouagan Reservoir, covering approximately 2,000 km², while downstream the Manic-5 and Manic-5-PA power stations, with combined output reaching 2,660 megawatts, rank among the most powerful generating facilities in Hydro-Québec's production fleet. Access to the site is exclusively via Route 389, a narrow and winding road renowned for its spectacular views, which extends 214 km north of Baie-Comeau to the complex. The free two-hour guided tour, offered from mid-June through late August, includes a presentation at the interpretation centre dedicated to the epic story of the construction project in the 1960s, exploration of the valve chamber housing the penstock conduits feeding the generating units, and a walk across the dam's crest offering stunning views of the valley and Manicouagan Reservoir.