La Cité de l'Énergie facts for kids
The tall observation tower at La Cité de l'Énergie.
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| Established | June 21, 1997 |
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| Location | Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada |
| Type | theme park |
La Cité de l'Énergie is a cool theme park in Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada. Its name is French for "The City of Energy." The park teaches visitors all about the industrial history of the area, especially how electricity is made. It's a fun and educational place to explore science and history.
Contents
What Can You See and Do?
La Cité de l'Énergie has two main parts: a modern science center and a historic area with old power plants.
The Science Center and Observation Tower
The science center is packed with fun things to learn. It has a permanent interactive exhibit where you can touch and play with the displays. There is also an amazing multimedia show to watch.
The most famous part of the park is the huge observation tower, which is 115 meters (377 feet) tall. From the top, you get an incredible view of the park and the surrounding area.
What's really neat is that the tower is made from a recycled electricity pylon. A pylon is a giant metal tower used to hold up power lines. This specific pylon was once used to carry electricity across the wide Saint Lawrence River.
The Historic Power Plants
This area feels like stepping back in time. You can explore two real power plants and see the ruins of a third one.
- The NAC Plant: This power plant was built around 1906 by the Northern Aluminum Company (Alcan). It was used to make aluminium. The plant closed in the 1950s because its technology was old. Today, it's open for visitors to explore.
- Shawinigan 2: This power plant was built in 1911 and made bigger in 1928. Since 1963, it has been run by Hydro-Québec, the company that provides electricity to the province. It's still working today! The building is designed in the beautiful Renaissance and Art Deco styles. Inside, you can see the giant machines, called turbines and generators, that make electricity.
Who Runs the Park?
La Cité de l'Énergie is run by a non-profit organization. This means its main goal is to educate the public, not to make a profit. The park is supported by important companies like Abitibi-Consolidated, Alcan, and Hydro-Québec, as well as the City of Shawinigan.
Robert Trudel has been the general manager of the park since it first opened in 1997.
A Popular Place for Tourists
Since opening, La Cité de l'Énergie has become a major attraction, bringing in hundreds of thousands of visitors. It helps the local town of Shawinigan by attracting tourists.
The park is usually open for everyone from June to September each year. It also opens for school groups and other large groups at other times of the year.
See also
- History of Hydro-Québec
- List of hydroelectric stations in Quebec
- Lattice tower
- Lise Landry
- Roland Désaulniers
- Former Shawinigan Aluminium Plant
External links
- Cité de l'Énergie
