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History

This section reviews the history of hydroelectricity in Quebec, followed by a brief description of the earliest efforts to produce electricity in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada. The main subject of the section concerns Shawinigan Water and Power, one of the largest privately owned companies to produce electricity in Canada. The establishment of the company's impressive generating station located along the Shawinigan Falls and its construction spanning half a century are described along with the company's impact on the production and transmission of electricity. A section is also devoted to the role played by the company in the founding of the city of Shawinigan and its participation in the development of one of the largest electrochemical complexes in Canada. There is also information on the nationalization of electricity and Hydro-Québec. At the end, there is a section highlighting the impressive touristic site of the Cité de l'énergie.