Shawinigan Water & Power Company

Established in 1898, the Shawinigan Water & Power Company was one of the dominant, privately owned hydroelectric companies in Canada until 1963, when it became a part of Hydro-Québec.

History

Shawinigan Water & Power Company was founded on January 15, 1898, by American businessman John Edward Aldred[1] (who was the president) and John Joyce,[2] and then joined by Andrew Frederick Gault, H. H. Melville, Thomas McDougall, and Louis-Joseph Forget. The company was named for where it was based: Shawinigan, Quebec.

Power assets

The company established various power station over the history of the company. Six power plants were built along the Saint-Maurice River in the 1920s[2]

• Shawinigan 1 7.5MW (c. 1901) – built at what is now Shawinigan Falls. Shawinigan-1 ceased production in the early 1950s.
• Shawinigan 2 200MW (1911–1929)
• Shawinigan 3 194MW (1946–1948)[2]
• La Gabelle 129MW (1924–1931)
• Rapide-Blanc 204MW (c. 1930)
• La Trenche 302MW (c. 1950)
• Beaumont 270MW (1958–1959)

In 1956 the company had total generating capacity at 1284 MW from the six active power stations.[3]

Shawinigan Water & Power also generated power from two subsidiaries:

• Quebec Power Company – 31.1MW from six stations near Quebec City[3]
• Southern Canada Power Company Limited – 43.4 MW from five stations on St. Francis River and other tributaries in the Eastern Townships[3]

Clients

• Shawinigan Carbide
• Belgo Pulp and Paper Mills

See also

• History of Hydro-Québec
• Edmond Thibaudeau
• List of hydroelectric stations in Quebec
• Gouin Reservoir
• Saint-Maurice River
• Tracy Thermal Generating Station

References

1. Martin, Thomas Commerford; Coles, Stephen Leidy (1919). The Story of Electricity, Vol. I. New York City: M.M. Marcy. p. 128. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
2. "The birth of a company – the history of hydroelectricity in Quebec".
3. "Canadian Register – the Shawinigan Water and Power Company, Montreal …". Archived from the original on February 19, 2013.