La Cité de l'énergie

Opened in 1997 as the fruit of a founding partnership with Hydro-Québec, Cité de l'énergie has successfully transformed Shawinigan's sometimes austere industrial heritage — a city born from hydroelectric exploitation and aluminum production at the turn of the 20th century — into an immersive tourist experience celebrated across the nation. The site is divided into two complementary sectors: the Science Centre, which features the immersive Planète Énergie exhibition dedicated to global energy challenges as well as a multimedia show, and the historic sector, where visitors can explore the Northern Aluminum Company power station built in 1901 and rendered obsolete by 1945, as well as the Shawinigan-2 power station, erected in 1911 in a style blending Renaissance and Art Deco and still operated by Hydro-Québec since 1963. The site's observation tower, a former 115-meter-high electrical transmission pylon that once carried electricity across the St. Lawrence River between Grondines and Lotbinière, offers from its summit an exceptional panorama over the entire Mauricie valley. The complex also houses the Museum of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, a Shawinigan native, which presents a collection of ceremonial gifts received during his years in office as well as the gowns worn by his wife Aline at official events, adding a political and biographical dimension to this destination firmly dedicated to showcasing Mauricie's industrial heritage.