Shawinigan Beyond Territorial Rights

Last month, the city of Shawinigan was engulfed in a debate that could very well be uniquely Canadian: the territorial rights of a hockey team. The Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL exercised an exclusivity agreement in their lease when the BSR of the Senior AAA League attempted to sign a lease at a rink across town. The debate and reasonings got into the gritty finances of a lower income city, and what each team does or could mean to the area. With the focus getting narrowed to the business side of a sport, a lot was missed in the description of the city. With that in mind, let's take a look at Shawinigan beyond the current issue. 

Situated in the Mauricie Region, just 25 miles North of Trois-Rivieres, Shawinigan is one of those smaller cities that sits off the beaten path, and often gets left out of the general discussion. Yet, until recently, it has played a significant role in Quebec's history and economy. Electricity, aluminum and industrial chemical manufacturing, and military installations made the city a juggernaut in the early to mid 1900’s. Almost all of this was due to its location on the Saint-Maurice River, which takes the city's history much further back. 

In 1651 Jesuits explorers ventured up (what is today) the Saint-Maurice River.  The first stopping point was a set of massive falls. What became a natural resting spot for French explorers had long been used by Atikamekw and other indigenous travelers who called the area Achawenekane, referring to a place where portaging around rocky waterfalls was necessary.  This tidbit explains why the area whose name evolved to Shawinigan was first incorporated as Shawinigan Falls- a name that lasted until 1958.

Timber extraction via the river was the region's first industrial activity, but in 1879, iron ore extraction at Lac-a-la-Tortue gave the region its first economic diversification. This was followed by the first pulp & paper mill at present day Grand-Mere in 1890. As industries would develop in the area, parishes and villages would grow up around them. The boom would come in 1898 with the establishment of the first hydroelectric plant at the falls. Boston owned Shawinigan Water and Power would become the source for industrial and population growth of the region through the mid- 20th century. In 1908, the Canadian Northern Rail would connect the region to the province’s larger rail lines, supplying the workforce necessary to achieve the growth.

Grand-Mère generating station, on the Rivière Saint-Maurice: Hydro-Quebec Archives

During the economic good times, Shawinigan would leave its mark on the history books. In addition to supplying electricity to much of the province, SW&P would provide the city’s downtown with Canada's first electric streetlights. Also, Lac-a-la-Tortue’s airport, which opened in 1919- one year before Toronto's Long Branch Aerodrome transitioned from a flight school to a full-service airport- was the country's first commercial airport. 

In terms of social change, the industrial boom would make the city one of the province’s early hubs of unionized labor and ensuing strikes. In 1962 the purchase of Shawinigan Water and Power was a cornerstone of the Lesage government’s nationalization of electricity which was one of the larger economic and social factors in the Quiet Revolution.  

Shawinigan can also lay claim to one of the country's most famous politicians. Jean Chretien, known for his twangy side-of-the-mouth projection, exemplified Shawinigan’s blue dollar nature with his “little guy from Shawinigan” moniker and his infamous Shawinigan handshake. 

Like many industrial cities, Shawinigan experienced its mid-late 20th century downturn. Rapidly changing technologies and globalization brought an end to the heavy industries that caused the region’s growth. Today, Shawinigan is still home to hydroelectric generation but leans into tourism with its Cite de L’Energie Museum, urban and rural parks, golf courses and its status as a gateway to the Mauricie National Forest. Unfortunately, this adjustment came with a cost. As of 2021, Shawinigan’s per capita income was 23% below the provincial average, placing the city in the category that the good times had passed by. 

Cite de L'Energie Museum

With the economic downturn came consolidation, which gives Shawinigan a rather unique geography. In 2002 Shawinigan and six nearby municipalities merged under the centralized Shawinigan name and government. Towns including the previously mentioned Lac-a-la-Tortue and Grand-Mere now exist as boroughs of Shawinigan despite being geographically separated. In total, around 50,000 people call the city home. 

Despite the downturn and consolidation, not all is lost. While it can be dangerously easy to romanticize poverty, Shawinigan’s lack of advancement has helped it maintain a healthy amount of yesteryear charm. Downtown Shawinigan boasts its share of the in-laid stone roadways common in some of the province's larger cities. Older architecture ranging from municipal buildings and repurposed churches is common throughout the boroughs, and finally while fast food and big box chains can be found, Shawinigan can claim a high percentage of privately owned restaurants and stores free of the obnoxiously oversized exterior signs and wall to wall televisions common at today’s establishments. 

Of course, Shawinigan is also home to the 4,100 seat Gervais Auto Center and the Shawinigan Cataractes (another reference to the waterfalls), which brings us back to the original subject that engulfed the region’s sports fans last month. 

Gritty and even a bit hardscrabble in appearance, Shawinigan is a great example of a city that has lots to offer yet is mostly left out of the general conversation.  Sure, sports fans can find plenty to love, but historians, outdoor enthusiasts, and those looking to explore something a little more off the beaten path can find something of interest in this city. It may not often be in the general discussion, but when it is, it has plenty of offer.

Centre Gervais Auto- home of the Shawinigan Cataractes