La Cité de l'Énergie
Encyclopedia
La Cite de l'Énergie is a theme park based on local industrial history and located in Shawinigan, Quebec
, Canada
.
The NAC plant (built circa 1906) was privately owned by Alcan
and used for its fabrication of aluminium
. It had become obsolete by the early 1950s and is now out of production. It is open to visitors.
Shawinigan 2 was established in 1911 and enlarged in 1928 by the Shawinigan Water & Power Company and has been operated by Hydro-Québec
since 1963. The structure was erected in the Renaissance
and Art Deco
architectural styles. The machinery consists of five generators activated by horizontal turbines and three generators activated by vertical turbines.
, whose funders are Abitibi-Consolidated
, Alcan
, Hydro-Québec
and the City of Shawinigan
.
Robert Trudel has been the general manager
and the main spokesperson for La Cité de l'Énergie, since its foundation.
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Facilities
- A science centreScience centerA science center or science centre is a science museum that emphasizes a hands-on approach, featuring interactive exhibits that encourage visitors to experiment and explore....
, which includes a 115 m (377 ft) high observation tower and features a multimediaMultimediaMultimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
show as well as a permanent interactive exhibit. The lattice towerLattice towerA lattice tower or truss tower is a freestanding framework tower. They can be used as electricity pylons especially for voltages above 100 kilovolts, as a radio tower or as an observation tower....
consists of a dismantled electricity pylonElectricity pylonA transmission tower is a tall structure, usually a steel lattice tower, used to support an overhead power line. They are used in high-voltage AC and DC systems, and come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes...
used for a temporary power line crossingSaint Lawrence River HVDC Powerline CrossingThe Saint Lawrence River HVDC Powerline Crossing is the crossing of Hydro-Québec's Quebec-New England HVDC transmission line over the Saint Lawrence River between Grondines and Lotbinière, Quebec, Canada...
of Saint Lawrence RiverSaint Lawrence RiverThe Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
between Grondines and LotbinièreLotbinière, QuebecLotbinière is a municipality in the Municipalité régionale de comté de Lotbinière in Quebec, Canada. It is part of the Chaudière-Appalaches region and the population is 909 as of 2009. It is named after seigneurie of which it was part...
, during the construction of the tunnel used to ultimately carry the Quebec - New England TransmissionQuebec - New England TransmissionThe Quebec – New England Transmission is a long-distance high-voltage direct current line between Radisson, Quebec and Sandy Pond in Ayer, Massachusetts...
line. http://www.citedelenergie.com//index.asp?module=1&page=3
- A Historical sector, which consists of two power plants, Northern Aluminum Company (NAC)AlcanRio Tinto Alcan Inc. is a Canadian company based in Montreal. It was created on November 15, 2007 as the result of the merger between Rio Tinto PLC's Canadian subsidiary, Rio Tinto Canada Holding Inc., and Canadian company Alcan Inc. On the same date, Alcan Inc. was renamed Rio Tinto Alcan Inc..Rio...
and Shawinigan 2, and the ruins of a third one (Alcan 16AlcanRio Tinto Alcan Inc. is a Canadian company based in Montreal. It was created on November 15, 2007 as the result of the merger between Rio Tinto PLC's Canadian subsidiary, Rio Tinto Canada Holding Inc., and Canadian company Alcan Inc. On the same date, Alcan Inc. was renamed Rio Tinto Alcan Inc..Rio...
), as well as an electricity distribution station and an aluminium smelterSmeltingSmelting is a form of extractive metallurgy; its main use is to produce a metal from its ore. This includes iron extraction from iron ore, and copper extraction and other base metals from their ores...
.
The NAC plant (built circa 1906) was privately owned by Alcan
Alcan
Rio Tinto Alcan Inc. is a Canadian company based in Montreal. It was created on November 15, 2007 as the result of the merger between Rio Tinto PLC's Canadian subsidiary, Rio Tinto Canada Holding Inc., and Canadian company Alcan Inc. On the same date, Alcan Inc. was renamed Rio Tinto Alcan Inc..Rio...
and used for its fabrication of aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
. It had become obsolete by the early 1950s and is now out of production. It is open to visitors.
Shawinigan 2 was established in 1911 and enlarged in 1928 by the Shawinigan Water & Power Company and has been operated by Hydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec is a government-owned public utility established in 1944 by the Government of Quebec. Based in Montreal, the company is in charge of the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity across Quebec....
since 1963. The structure was erected in the Renaissance
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
and Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
architectural styles. The machinery consists of five generators activated by horizontal turbines and three generators activated by vertical turbines.
Management
La Cité de l'Énergie is administered by a non-profit organizationNon-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
, whose funders are Abitibi-Consolidated
Abitibi-Consolidated
Abitibi Consolidated Inc. was a Canadian pulp and paper company based in Montreal, Quebec. Abitibi-Consolidated was formed from the merger of Abitibi-Price Inc. and Stone Consolidated Corp...
, Alcan
Alcan
Rio Tinto Alcan Inc. is a Canadian company based in Montreal. It was created on November 15, 2007 as the result of the merger between Rio Tinto PLC's Canadian subsidiary, Rio Tinto Canada Holding Inc., and Canadian company Alcan Inc. On the same date, Alcan Inc. was renamed Rio Tinto Alcan Inc..Rio...
, Hydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec is a government-owned public utility established in 1944 by the Government of Quebec. Based in Montreal, the company is in charge of the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity across Quebec....
and the City of Shawinigan
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 ....
.
Robert Trudel has been the general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
and the main spokesperson for La Cité de l'Énergie, since its foundation.
Impact on local tourism
Since it opened in 1997, La Cité de l'Énergie attracted hundreds of thousands of paying visitors. The park is generally open to the public each year from June to September; and to groups during other times of the year.See also
- History of Hydro-QuébecHistory of Hydro-QuébecHydro-Québec is a government-owned public utility established in 1944 by the Government of Quebec. The company is in charge of the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity across Quebec. Its head office is located in Montreal.-Origins:...
- List of hydroelectric stations in Quebec
- Lise LandryLise LandryLise Landry is a local politician in Shawinigan, Quebec. She was the 19th Mayor of the city from 1994 to 2009.-Family and life prior to elective office:She is married. Her husband’s name is Henri...
- Roland DésaulniersRoland DésaulniersRoland Désaulniers has been a local businessman and politician in Shawinigan, Quebec. He was the 18th Mayor of Shawinigan, Quebec from 1986 to 1994.He successfully ran as Mayor of Shawinigan in 1986 and was re-elected in 1990....