Maps and Exploration

Former Shawinigan Aluminium Plant

The former Shawinigan aluminium plant is a decommissioned electrometallurgical facility located in Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada. It consists of 12 industrial and administrative buildings constructed between 1900 and 1927 on a plateau overlooking the Saint-Maurice River, near the Shawinigan hydroelectric complex. In 1899, the Shawinigan Water and Power Company encouraged the Pittsburgh Reduction Company (later known as Alcoa) to establish operations near its hydroelectric facilities. Construction of the plant began in the spring of 1900, and its design was likely inspired by the Niagara Falls aluminium plant, which was later demolished in 1923. A foundry and a potroom were constructed between 1900 and 1901. On October 20, 1901, the first aluminium ingot in Canada was cast at the site. A wire drawing and cable workshop were added the same year. In 1902, the company established a Canadian subsidiary, the Northern Aluminium Company Limited. In 1905 and 1906, the Shawinigan aluminium plant underwent expansion with the construction of three additional potrooms, a laboratory with offices, a shipping area, and a coke grinding workshop. A new pot design featuring larger and thicker walls was introduced to enhance heat resistance. Additional buildings were constructed throughout the 1910s and 1920s. In 1925, the Northern Aluminium Company was renamed Aluminium Company of Canada Limited (Alcan). In 1927, administrative offices were added to the complex. During the early 1930s, the facility shifted its focus to producing aluminum cables. Primary aluminium production ended in 1944. Cable manufacturing continued and peaked in the 1960s, followed by a gradual decline that led to the plant’s closure in 1986. In 1989, part of the complex was sold to a neighboring paper mill, and some structures, including one potroom, were later demolished. In 2001, Alcan transferred the remaining buildings of the former Shawinigan aluminium plant to the Cité de l’énergie, a museum focused on industrial heritage. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2002. The buildings were restored and opened to the public in 2003 as Espace Shawinigan, a venue for exhibitions and cultural events. In 2013, the complex was designated a heritage building by the Quebec Ministry of Culture and Communications.

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See also

• ▸Doddinghurst
• ▸HMS Barbuda (1780)
• ▸2012 United States presidential election

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Text from Wikipedia; plate via Wikimedia Commons. Text CC BY-SA 4.0; plate freely licensed (see Commons). Source record. Images and catalogue data are reproduced from open-access collections.