Shawinigan

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Shawinigan
—  City  —
An aerial view of Shawinigan
Flag Official logo of Shawinigan Logo
Nickname(s): The City of Electricity
Motto: Age Quod Agis (Do what you are doing)
Shawinigan Location in central Quebec.
Coordinates: 46°34′N 72°45′W
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Mauricie
RCM	None
Settled	1851
Constituted	January 1, 2002
Government
• Mayor	Michel Angers
• Federal riding	Saint-Maurice—Champlain
• Prov. riding	Laviolette and Saint-Maurice
Area
• City	798.80 km2 (308.42 sq mi)
• Land	733.48 km2 (283.20 sq mi)
• Urban	109.93 km2 (42.44 sq mi)
• Metro	987.14 km2 (381.14 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• City	50,060
• Density	68.2/km2 (177/sq mi)
• Urban	47,735
• Urban density	434.3/km2 (1,125/sq mi)
• Metro	55,009
• Metro density	55.7/km2 (144/sq mi)
• Pop 2006-2011	3.6%
• Dwellings	26,302
Time zone	EST (UTC−5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC−4)
Postal code(s)	G9N to G9T
Area code(s)	819
Website	shawinigan.ca

Shawinigan is a city located on the Saint-Maurice River in the Mauricie area in Quebec, Canada. It had a population of 50,060 as of the Canada 2011 Census.

Shawinigan is also a territory equivalent to a regional county municipality (TE) and census division (CD) of Quebec, coextensive with the city of Shawinigan. Its geographical code is 36. Shawinigan is the seat of the judicial district of Saint-Maurice.

The name Shawinigan has had numerous spellings over time: Chaouinigane, Oshaouinigane, Assaouinigane, Achawénégan, Chawinigame, Shawenigane, Chaouénigane. It may mean "south portage", "portage of beeches", "angular portage", or "summit" or "crest". Before 1958 the city was known as Shawinigan Falls.

History

In 1651, the jesuit priest Buteaux was the first European known to have travelled up the Saint-Maurice River to this river's first set of great falls. Afterwards, missionaries going to the Upper Saint-Maurice would rest here. Before Shawinigan Falls was established, the local economy had been largely based on lumber and agriculture.

Boomtown

Shawinigan City Hall

In the late 1890s, Shawinigan Falls drew the interest of foreign entrepreneurs such as John Joyce and John Edward Aldred of the Shawinigan Water & Power Company (SW&P), and of Hubert Biermans of the Belgo Canadian Pulp & Paper Company because of its particular geographic situation. Its falls had the potential to become a favorable location for the production of hydroelectricity.

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.

In 1901, the place was incorporated as the Village Municipality of Shawinigan Falls and gained town (ville) status a year later in 1902. The hydro-electric generating station contributed to rapid economic growth and the town achieved several firsts in Canadian history: first production of aluminum (1901), carborundum (1908), cellophane pellets (1932). Shawinigan Falls also became one of the first Canadian cities with electric street lighting.

Urban Growth

For decades, the local pulp and paper, chemical and textile industries created thousands of jobs and stimulated city growth (see Sketch Map of Urban Neighborhoods in Shawinigan, 1899-1951).

Industrial prosperity fostered the mergence of new districts over the decades that followed the foundation of Shawinigan Falls.

Urban development steadily increased in Downtown Shawinigan. By 1921, this sector was densely filled with commercial buildings on Fourth and Fifth street, as well as Station Avenue, one-family residences along the Riverside corridor (current-day St-Maurice Drive) and multi-story tenements elsewhere.

The Olmsted Brothers design firm was hired by the city to implement a beautification program. By the late 1920s, Downtown Shawinigan was home to a public market, a fire station, a technical school, several church buildings and two landscaped public parks, including the St. Maurice Park.

Many of the opulent uphill homes located in the somewhat secluded areas of Maple Street and Hemlock Avenue were occupied by more affluent people, many of whom happened to belong to the once vibrant English-speaking community, which at times comprised more than 30% of the local population.

As industrial plants began operation eastward and northward, neighborhoods were established in Uptown Shawinigan. The emergence of these new districts was defined by and intertwined with the parish structure of the Roman Catholic Church. The Saint-Marc neighborhood, originally known as Village St-Onge, was annexed in 1902, extending the city limits to Dufresne Street. The uptown presence of the Canadian Carborundum and Alcan no. 2 plants favored the foundation the Christ-Roi neighborhood, which was annexed in 1925 extending the city limits to St-Sacrement Boulevard. The land now occupied by the section of town currently known as Shawinigan-Est was annexed in 1932.

Uptown Shawinigan had its own fire station by 1922 and its own landscaped public park and swimming pool by 1940.

Westside near the Shawinigan River, the existence of the pulp and paper Belgo plant attracted enough residents to form a small, yet stable independent urban community called Baie-de-Shawinigan.

Across the St-Maurice River, Shawinigan-Sud (then Almaville) maintained home-rule and developed as a residential hub.

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.

The promenade along the St Maurice was a make work project during the depression.

World War II

World War II put Shawinigan Falls, and many others cities in Canada, 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 81st 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.

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.

Rise of the working class

By the early 1950s, the industrial growth in Shawinigan was such that the city offered the steadiest employment and the highest wages in Quebec. Due to this advantageous position, Shawinigan became a hot bed for organized labor and bargaining power. The rise of its working class also favored the presence of numerous independently-owned taverns.

Labor unions

As its working class gained economic ground and political leverage, Shawinigan became fertile ground for labor unions. The workers of the Belgo pulp and paper plant went on strike in 1955. In the 1952 provincial election, Shawinigan sent a Liberal member to the legislature. The gesture was largely considered an affront to Premier Maurice Duplessis, who 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. It was completed on September 2, 1962.

Taverns

In the 1950s, a number of taverns provided a male-only social environment for industrial workers. They were mostly concentrated in Downtown Shawinigan (Saint-Bernard and Saint-Pierre), as well as in the Saint-Marc neighbourhood, as Shawinigan-Sud remained a dry town until 1961, and included the following venues:

Name	Also Known As	Address	Neighborhood	Current Status
Au Pied du Courant		1885, avenue Saint-Marc	Saint-Marc	demolished
Chez Bob	Chez Maxime	413, avenue Mercier	Saint-Pierre	out of business
Chez Camille	Chez Armand, Taverne Station	902, avenue de la Station	Saint-Pierre	demolished
Chez François	Taverne Bellevue, Cabaret La Vie est Belle	2991, boulevard des Hêtres	Sainte-Croix	still in business
Chez Georges	Bar Le Transit	2172, avenue Cloutier	Saint-Marc	out of business
Chez Jos		482, 5e rue	Saint-Pierre	demolished
Chez Léo		820, 4e rue	Saint-Pierre	out of business
Chez Maurice	Jos Bar Terrasse	666, 5e rue	Saint-Pierre	still in business
Chez Paul (Bistro Bar)		303, avenue Tamarac	Saint-Bernard	out of business
Chez Paul (Taverne)	Au Gobelet	403, avenue Tamarac	Saint-Pierre	burned down
Chez Rosaire		763, rue Lambert	Saint-Marc	still in business
Corvette		822, rue Trudel	Saint-Marc	burned down in 1973
Taverne Laliberté	Taverne des Expos, Bar de l’Énergie	1572, avenue Saint-Marc	Saint-Marc	still in business
Taverne Moderne		2282, avenue Saint-Marc	Saint-Marc	still in business
Taverne des Sports	Club Social	382, 5e rue	Saint-Pierre	demolished

In 1951, the local tavern keepers formed a business association.

In 1981, the provincial government enacted a law that gave women access to most taverns. By 1986, women had already been admitted in most taverns.

While a handful of local taverns evolved into bistros or restaurants, most of them did not survive the industrial decline that characterized the last third of the 1900s.

Decline

In the 1950s, Shawinigan Falls 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 to nearby larger cities or close down.

In 1958, it received city (cité) status, and its name was abbreviated to just Shawinigan.

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

Traditionally, Shawinigan has been home to a number of hotels and inns, including the following:

Name	Also Known As	Address	Neighborhood	Year Completed	Current Status
Cascade Inn		695, 7e rue	Saint-Pierre	1901	burned down in 1986
Château de la Mauricie	Hôtel La Mauricie	822, rue Trudel	Saint-Marc		burned down in 1973
Château Turcotte		1000, avenue Melville	Saint-Pierre	1858	burned down in 1878
De Lasalle	Hôtel Central, Grand Central	590, 3e rue	Saint-Paul, Grand-Mère		damaged by fire in 2012, out of business
Des Chutes	Riverside	856, 4e rue	Saint-Pierre		burned down in 1992
Dufresne		702, 4e rue	Saint-Pierre	1905	in business until 1914, later demolished
Escapade		3383, rue Garnier	Saint-Charles-Garnier	1977	still in business
Gouverneur		100, promenade du Saint-Maurice	Saint-Pierre	1998	still in business
Grand-Mère Inn	Laurentide Inn	10, 6e avenue	Saint-Paul, Grand-Mère	1897	burned down in 2004, demolished in 2010
La Rocaille		1851, 5e avenue	Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Grand-Mère		still in business
Laviolette		1608, avenue Saint-Marc	Saint-Marc		demolished
Royal		693, 4e rue	Saint-Bernard	1901	demolished
Shawinigan Hotel	Hôtel Racine	602, 5e rue	Saint-Pierre	1903	burned down in 1990
Vendôme	New Vendôme	943, avenue Cascade	Saint-Pierre	circa 1908	burned down in 1958
Windsor		1787, avenue Champlain	Saint-Marc	1905	in business until the 1930s, later demolished

In order to offset the decline of the heavy industry, leaders have promoted the expansion of the local 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. It currently hosts bus tours and cruises, as well as entertainment shows and interactive exhibits. Since 2012, it is also home to the Museum of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, a venue similar to those operated by the U.S. Presidential library system and which focuses on the gifts received by the former Prime Minister of Canada (1993-2003) during his official duties.

Mergers

The "Trou du Diable" falls, with the Cité de l'Énergie tower in the background.

In 1998, Shawinigan merged with the Village Municipality of Baie-de-Shawinigan.

On January 1, 2002, Shawinigan amalgamated with much of the Regional County Municipality of Le Centre-de-la-Mauricie. The following municipalities were part of the merger:

Municipality	Year of Foundation	Population (1996)
Shawinigan	1901	18,678
Grand-Mère	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	2,155
Saint-Jean-des-Piles	1897	693

Sport

The Shawinigan Cataractes of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League play out of the Centre Bionest de Shawinigan in Shawinigan. It is the only team in the league still operating in the same city of its founding. It played host to the 2012 Memorial Cup hockey tournament and won the Championship, defeating the London Knights in the final.

Economy and industry

• 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. It is expected to be shut down by 2015;
• the Belgo pulp and paper plant: AbitibiBowater Inc. ceased its production on February 29, 2008;
• The Laurentide Paper Company: AbitibiBowater Inc. the last major paper mill still active in Shawinigan, located in the Grand-Mère district.
• large hydroelectric complex at Shawinigan Falls: the Shawinigan 2 (1911) and Shawinigan 3 (1948) power plants, established by the Shawinigan Water & Power Company, they have been the property of Hydro-Québec since 1963 and are also located near the Saint-Maurice River.

Religion

In recent years, the church attendance of Catholics in Shawinigan has been on the decline. As a result, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trois-Rivières has had difficulties maintaining its churches and merged a number of its parishes. The Catholic churches are:

Church	Location	Year of foundation	Status
Saint-Pierre (Saint Peter)	792, avenue Hemlock	1901	active
Saint-Marc (Saint Mark)	1852, avenue Georges	1911	active
Sacré-Cœur (Sacred Heart)	17, rue de l'Église, Baie-de-Shawinigan	1911	active
Saint-Bernard (Saint Bernard)	562, 2e Rue	1912	inactive closed in 2005
Christ-Roi (Christ the King)	1250, rue Notre-Dame	1938	inactive closed in 1994 demolished in 2002
Sainte-Croix (Holy Cross)	2153, rue Gignac	1949	inactive closed in 2004
Saint-Charles-Garnier (Saint Charles Garnier)	2173, avenue De la Madone	1949	active
Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission (English-speaking community)	773, avenue de la Station	1949	inactive closed in 1990
L’Assomption (Assumption)	4393, boulevard Des Hêtres	1951	active
Desserte Sainte Hélène (Saint Helena Mission)	2350, 93e Rue	1967	inactive closed

The current church building for Saint-Pierre was constructed between 1908 and 1937. The structure's stained glass was designed by Italian Canadian artist Guido Nincheri between 1930 and 1961.

Members of the Baptist community attend church at Centre Évangelique de Shawinigan, located at 773, avenue de la Station.

Education

There are eight public schools. Seven of them are under the supervision of the Commission scolaire de l'Énergie school board.

School	Level	Location	Number of students
Carrefour Formation Mauricie	Vocational education	5105, avenue Albert-Tessier	808
Centre d'éducation des adultes du Saint-Maurice	Adult education	1092, rue Trudel	1,353
École secondaire des Chutes	Secondary	5285, avenue Albert-Tessier	714
Immaculée-Conception (Immaculate Conception)	Elementary	153, 8e Rue	220
Saint-Charles-Garnier (Saint Charles Garnier)	Elementary	2265, rue Laflèche	157
Saint-Jacques (Saint James)	Elementary	2015, rue Saint-Jacques	220
Saint-Joseph (Saint Joseph)	Elementary	1452, rue Châteauguay	155

Children who meet Charter of the French Language guidelines can attend Shawinigan High School. Its campus is located at 1125, rue des Cèdres and is affiliated to the Central Québec school Board.

Shawinigan is also home of the Séminaire Sainte-Marie, a private institution that provides the secondary curriculum and of the Collège Shawinigan: a CEGEP whose main campus is located at 2263 Avenue du Collège;

Transportation

Many of the oldest streets of Shawinigan were numbered, like the streets of Manhattan, New York. Similarly, Avenue Broadway was named after the famous Manhattan thoroughfare.

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 and notable institutions

• 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
• Parc Saint-Maurice: located in downtown Shawinigan, it was part of the city's original plan.
• the 62nd (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 Shawinigan Cataractes: the only QMJHL franchise to have stayed in the same city since the league's inception in 1969. They play at the Centre Bionest
• the Shawinigan-Sud Tax Centre

Famous people

The city is home to:

• Peter Blaikie, a prominent lawyer
• Phil Casabon, freestyle skier
• Aline Chrétien, wife of former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien
• Jean Chrétien, Prime Minister of Canada from 1993 to 2003, and former federal MP for the area
• Sylvain Cossette, singer
• Antoine Dufour, acoustic guitarist
• Louise Forestier, who is a singer and an actress
• Martin Gélinas, a National Hockey League (NHL) player
• Jacques Lacoursière, a renowned historian
• Carole Laure, an actress
• Bryan Perro, an author, known for the Amos Daragon series
• Jacques Plante, an NHL goaltender
• Andre Pronovost, an NHL player
• Camil Samson, former Member of the provincial legislature for the district of Rouyn-Noranda and the Leader of the Ralliement créditiste du Québec

Annual events

• The Classique internationale de canots de la Mauricie: a prestigious marathon canoe race, held annually 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. The tradition goes back decades ago.

Sister cities

• Hamilton, Ontario
• Monterrey, Mexico

See also

Related articles

• List of regional county municipalities and equivalent territories in Quebec
• Mayors of Shawinigan
• Saint-Maurice River
• La Mauricie National Park
• Wapizagonke Lake
• Lac-à-la-Tortue, sector of Shawinigan
• Grand-Mère, sector of Shawinigan

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Shawinigan, Québec

• (French) Shawinigan official site
• Tourisme Mauricie Regional tourist office

Template:Administrative divisions of Quebec region