Shawinigan Falls, Waterfall in Shawinigan, Canada

Shawinigan Falls drops 50 meters down the Saint-Maurice River with a powerful flow that creates heavy mist and spray throughout the surrounding area. Steep rocky banks and dense forest frame the cascade on both sides, forming a defined gorge below the waterfall.

A hydroelectric plant built here in 1903 triggered the industrial transformation of the region and made Shawinigan a major power production center. This project quickly became essential for powering the rapid growth of nearby cities.

The name Shawinigan appeared around 1800 and was spelled many ways, including Chaouinigane and Achawénégan, before settling in 1898 when the Shawinigan Water and Power Company bought the falls and adjacent land. It first named a small tongue of land on the Saint-Maurice, then the falls, the downstream bay, the river, the lake and the township. In Abenaki the city is Azawanigan, "slope portage".

Several viewing platforms are positioned at different spots to see the falls from various angles and understand the scale of the waterfall. Well-marked walking paths connect these platforms, and parking is available near the main access points.

The falls' drop of 50 metres is divided among five hydroelectric plants, and the name Shawinigan was only fixed in its current spelling after the Shawinigan Water and Power Company bought the falls and adjacent land in 1898. In Abenaki the city is called Azawanigan, meaning 'sloping portage'.