Boréalis — Paper Industry History Centre

Boréalis occupies a thoughtfully converted heritage industrial site: the former water filtration plant that once powered the massive operations of Canadian International Paper, a direct witness to an era when Trois-Rivières proudly held the title of world capital of newsprint production, supplying printing presses for newspapers throughout North America and beyond. Through interactive exhibits and multimedia installations, the interpretation center traces the entire papermaking process from timber harvesting in the forest through pulp transformation to finished paper, placing this industry within its broader social and economic context: the waves of migrant workers it attracted, the urban transformations it sparked, and the gradual decline the sector experienced at the turn of the 21st century as international competition and digital media transformation reshaped the landscape. The site also invites visitors to explore the original technical filtration installations, preserved in their original condition, offering a tangible glimpse of the massive infrastructure required to sustain an industry so demanding of water and energy resources. Boréalis thus serves as a natural complement to the nearby Cité de l'énergie in Shawinigan, the two institutions together forming a cohesive journey through Mauricie's industrial heritage, rooted in the combined exploitation of forest and hydroelectric resources that shaped the region's economic identity throughout much of the 20th century.