Shawinigan

Shawinigan is a city in Quebec (Canada), located in Mauricie. It has approximately 50,000 inhabitants in 2022. Designated "City of Energy" by virtue of its hydroelectric and industrial history, it is located in a natural environment composed of numerous forests, rivers and lakes.

Before the creation of Shawinigan, a little over a hundred years ago, the indigenous people of the region already called this corner of the country Chaouinigane, Oshaouinigane, Assaouinigane, Chawinigame, Shawenigane, Chaouénigane or Achawénégan. According to historian Fabien LaRochelle, this name mainly refers to a portage. The current spelling dates back to 1816 and its author is said to be Francis Hall, a British officer who stayed in the region. However, there are several interpretations of the few indigenous terms: "top of the ridge", "portage on the ridge", "hill with two passages", and others. For others, the word "shawenegan" evokes the eye of a needle, in reference to the narrow gorges at the foot of the Shawinigan Falls. In Abenaki, the place is called Azawanigan, which means "sloping portage".

Shawinigan is located in the centre of Mauricie, in a bend of the Saint-Maurice River. It is about thirty kilometres north of Trois-Rivières. The city's territory includes the Mauricie National Park, which is located to the north of it.