SHAWINIGAN, QUEBEC

'Shawinigan' is a city located on the Saint-Maurice River in the Mauricie area in Quebec, Canada. It has a population of approximately 51,904 people (2006).
There is a large hydroelectric complex at Shawinigan Falls nearby.

Contents

History

Boomtown

Great Depression

World War II

Union Battleground

Decline

Emerging Hospitality Industry

Merger (2001)

Trivia

Famous People

Heavy Industries

Other Institutions

Annual Events

Streets

Landmarks

Footnotes

See also

References

History

Before Shawinigan was established, the local economy had been largely based on lumber and agriculture.

Boomtown

In the late 1890s, Shawinigan drew the interest of foreign entrepreneurs such as John Joyce and J. E. Aldred of the Shawinigan, Water & Power Company (SW&P) as well as Hubert Biermans of the Belgo Company because of its particular geographic situation. Its falls had the potential to become a favorable location for the production of hydroelectricity. ^[1]
In 1899, the SW&P commissioned Montreal engineering firm Pringle and Son to design a grid plan for a new industrial town on the banks of the Saint-Maurice River, providing the ground work for what would become downtown Shawinigan. ^[2]
In 1901, Shawinigan was incorporated and became the site of the first production of aluminum in Canadian history. ^[3] Other industries included pulp and paper, chemical production and textiles.
Shawinigan also became one of the first Canadian cities with electric street lighting.
For decades, the local pulp and paper, chemical and textile industries created thousands of jobs. The city steadily grew eastward and northward. Meanwhile on the other side of the river, Shawinigan-Sud (then Almaville) developed as a residential hub.
Shawinigan also had a vibrant English-speaking community, which at times comprised more than 30% of the population. Early on, members of the French-speaking majority and the more privileged English-speaking minority settled in segregated neighborhoods.

Great Depression

Local prosperity was interrupted by the Great Depression in the 1930s. Many plants were forced to temporarily reduce or stop their production, which left many residents jobless. Many families needed public assistance to survive. The City Council enacted a public works program to help families.

World War II

World War II put Shawinigan as well as Canada in general back on the path of economic recovery.
During hostilities, the windows of local power plants were painted black to prevent any possible German aerial attack.
The Shawinigan-based 81^st Artillery Battery was called to active duty during World War II. Its members were trained in Ontario and the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1944 and contributed to the Allies' effort in the Normandy Landings in 1944-45, which led to the Liberation of France. ^[4]
In 1948, a cenotaph, known as Monument des Braves, was erected in downtown Shawinigan at the intersection of Fourth Street and Promenade du Saint-Maurice (then Riverside Street) near the Saint-Maurice River, in honour of soldiers who died during that conflict as well as World War I.

Union Battleground

Because of its large labor population, Shawinigan became a hot bed for union activities. The workers of the Belgo pulp and paper plant went on strike in 1955.
In 1952, Shawinigan sent a Liberal member to the legislature. The gesture was largely considered an affront to anti-labor Premier Maurice Duplessis.
Duplessis responded by refusing to approve the construction of a new bridge between Shawinigan and Shawinigan-Sud. The new bridge was not built until after the Liberal Party won the 1960 election.

Decline

In the 1950s, Shawinigan entered a period of decline that would last for several decades.
Technological improvements made industries less dependent on Shawinigan's geographic location. Therefore, many employers would relocate nearby larger cities or close down.
As a reaction to declining opportunities, many residents, many of whom were English-speakers, left the area. Shawinigan High School is the only remaining English-language school in the city following the closure of St. Patrick's (closed circa 1983).
In 1963, the provincial government of Jean Lesage nationalized eleven privately owned electricity companies including SW&P. While benefiting the population in general, the decision may have been damaging to local interests.

Emerging Hospitality Industry

Following numerous failed attempts to jump start the local economy, an effort has led to the development of the hospitality industry. The most notable example of that initiative is the establishment of La Cité de l'Énergie, a theme park based on local industrial history, with a 115 metre high observation tower. Since it opened in 1997, it has attracted thousands of visitors to the area.

Merger (2001)

In 2001, Shawinigan amalgamated with much of the MRC Le Centre-de-la-Mauricie. The following municipalities were part of the merging:

'Municipality'	'Year of Foundation' [5]	'Population (1996)' [6]
Shawinigan [7]	1901	18,678
Grand-Mère [8]	1898	14,223
Shawinigan-Sud	1912	11,804
Saint-Georges-de-Champlain	1915	3,929
Lac-à-la-Tortue	1895	3,169
Saint-Gérard-des-Laurentides	1924 [9]	2,155
Saint-Jean-des-Piles	1897	693

Trivia

★ The word ''Shawinigan'' means ''portage at the crest'' in Algonquian, referring to the nearby waterfall. Before 1958 the city was known as ''Shawinigan Falls''.

★ Traditionally, residents of Shawinigan have made a distinction between ''downtown'' (bas de la ville) and ''uptown'' (haut de la ville) Shawinigan. Downtown consists of the oldest and lowest section of town, near the river. Other sections, such as Saint-Marc and Christ-Roy (Christ the King) neighborhoods are built on higher ground and are considered uptown. Côte Saint-Marc is considered the transition between both.

★ Likewise, Shawinigan-Sud has been divided into ''Almaville-en-Bas'' (down) and ''Almaville-en-Haut'' (up) in popular culture.

★ Until the early 1950s, kids who were less than 16 years old had to observe a 9:00 pm curfew everyday. ^[10]

★ Rue Mercier (Mercier Street), which is located in downtown Shawinigan, was named to honor Premier Honoré Mercier.

★ Until 2001, Shawinigan contained one of the tallest guyed masts in Canada, the CBC Tower.
The city is home to:

Famous People

★ Peter Blaikie, a prominent attorney;

★ Jean Chrétien, who was Prime Minister of Canada from 1993 to 2003;

★ Louise Forestier, who is a singer and an actress;

★ Martin Gélinas, an NHL player;

★ Jacques Lacoursière, a renowned historian;

★ Carole Laure, an actress;

★ Jacques Plante, an NHL goaltender

★ Camil Samson, who was Member of the provincial legislature for the district of Rouyn-Noranda and the Leader of the Ralliement créditiste du Québec;

Heavy Industries

★ an Alcan aluminum plant: built in 1941 and located at 1100 Boulevard Saint-Sacrement, it took over the production of a 1901 structure which is located near the Saint-Maurice River and is currently managed by La Cité de l'Énergie;

★ the Belgo pulp and paper plant;

★ the Shawinigan 2 (1911) and Shawinigan 3 (1948) power plants: established by the SW&P, they have been the property of Hydro Quebec since 1963 and are also located near the Saint-Maurice River;

Other Institutions

★ the 62^nd (Shawinigan) Field Artillery Regiment: a militia unit of the Canadian Army which was called to active duty during World War II;

★ La Cité de l'Énergie;

★ the Collège Shawinigan: a CEGEP whose main campus is located at 2263 Avenue du Collège;

★ the Shawinigan Cataractes: the only QMJHL franchise to have stayed in the same city since the league's inception in 1969. They play at the Arena Jacques Plante (855 Rue Broadway);

★ the Shawinigan-Sud Tax Center;

Annual Events

★ The Classique internationale de canots de la Mauricie: a prestigious marathon canoe race, in existence since 1934;

★ Grand-Mère's Fête nationale du Québec celebration: consisting of a bonfire and a live performance from local musicians, its audience arguably ranks among the largest crowds in the Mauricie area. It takes place at the Parc de la rivière Grand-Mère. ^[11] The tradition goes back decades ago. ^[12]

Streets

Many of the oldest streets of Shawinigan were numbered, like the streets of Manhattan, New York. Similarly, Avenue Broadway was named after the famous thoroughfare, located in the same borough.
Several other streets and avenues were named to honor famous people, including:

★ George-Étienne Cartier

★ Samuel de Champlain

★ Dollard des Ormeaux

★ Peter Julian Eymard

★ Comte de Frontenac

★ King George V

★ Lomer Gouin

★ Victor Hugo

★ Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville

★ Marshal Joseph Joffre

★ Pope John XXIII

★ Curé Labelle

★ Monsignor Louis-François Laflèche

★ Sieur de La Salle

★ Wilfrid Laurier

★ Calixa Lavallée

★ Honoré Mercier

★ Marquis de Montcalm

★ Pierre Laporte

★ Cardinal Richelieu

★ Basile Routhier

★ Jean Talon

★ Major General Georges Vanier

Landmarks

★ The Trou du Diable (Devil's Hole): this mysterious location consists of a swirl in the Saint-Maurice River nearby the falls. Legend has it, the Trou du Diable has no bottom, making it impossible to rescue anyone who falls into it; ^[13]

★ Parc Saint-Maurice: located in downtown Shawinigan, it was part of the city's original plan.

Footnotes

1. Transactions 2004: Life, Learning and the Arts, The Royal Society of Canada, November 19, 2004
2. Power and Planning: Industrial Towns in Québec, 1890-1950, CCA, 1996
3. Alcan célèbre le centenaire de la production d'aluminium au Canada, Alcan Inc., November 1, 2001
4. J.J. Bellemare, 60 ans d'artillerie en Mauricie, Shawinigan, 1996
5. Rapport du mandataire du Gouvernement - La réorganisation municipale du Centre-de-la-Mauricie, 2000
6. Community Profiles, Statistics Canada, 1996
7. Shawinigan includes Baie-de-Shawinigan, which was established in 1907 and merged in 1998.
8. Grand-Mère includes Sainte-Flore, which was established in 1862.
9. The Catholic parish of Saint-Gérard-des-Laurentides was established in 1922.
10. Fabien LaRochelle, Shawinigan depuis 75 ans, 1976
11. La fête nationale en Mauricie, Karine Parenteau, Voir, June 22, 2006
12. Vandalisme dans le parc de la rivière Grand-Mère, Clin d'oeil historique, L'Hebdo du St-Maurice, February 23, 2007
13. Brasserie Le Trou du Diable

See also

★ 62^nd (Shawinigan) Field Artillery Regiment

★ La Cité de l'Énergie

★ List of hydroelectric stations in Quebec

★ Mauricie

★ Mauricie Legislators

★ Mayors of Shawinigan

★ Municipal reorganization in Quebec

★ Robert Trudel

★ Saint-Maurice Federal Electoral District

★ Saint-Maurice—Champlain Federal Electoral District

★ Saint-Maurice Provincial Electoral District

★ Saint-Maurice River

★ Shawinigan, Water & Power Company

★ Shawinigate

References

★ Shawinigan official site