DANIEL-JOHNSON DAM AND MANIC-5 GENERATING STATION

North of Baie-Comeau, the Outardes and Manicouagan rivers are used for power generation. Between 1959 and 1978, seven generating stations with a total capacity of 7,567 megawatts were built as part of the Manic-Outardes project. Hydro-Québec, the government corporation that manages the hydroelectric system and its development, is one of the largest electric utilities in North America. It generates, transmits and distributes almost all the electricity consumed in the province.

The most famous dam in this project, and indeed in the entire province, is the Daniel-Johnson Dam, a symbol of Quebec engineering and a great national pride. You have to stand at the foot of the dam to understand its sheer size: 214 metres high and 1.3 km wide, punctuated by 13 arches and 14 buttresses. To this day, it still holds the title of the largest multiple-arch and buttress dam in the world, no less. Nearly 2 million cubic metres of concrete were required for its construction, which took place from 1959 to 1964. This was followed by the Manic-5 power plant, which allowed the complex to be inaugurated in 1968 and put into service two years later. A^second power station, Manic-5-PA, was added in the 1980s on the other side of the river to increase power.

If you can't get there, Jean-Lesage (Manic-2) is only 20 km from Baie-Comeau.