The history of Quebec 's electrification
From firewood to northern power: a nation’s electric odyssey
There was a time when Québec lit its nights by candlelight and kept warm with chopped wood. Energy was scarce, local, and often unreliable. But over the span of 150 years, something remarkable happened: Québec became a global leader in hydroelectric power, transforming its vast natural landscape into a source of sustainable energy and national pride.
This is the story of that transformation — told as a human, historical journey full of ambition, innovation, and resilience.
The first sparks (1870–1900)
It began in the late 1870s, when Montréal witnessed its first electric light bulb flicker to life. By the early 1880s, electricity was powering city streets, streetcars, and small factories.
The movement was led by early pioneers like Thomas Ahearn and John Joseph Wright, as well as ambitious private entrepreneurs.
But at this stage, electricity was mostly an urban luxury. Across rural Québec, people still relied on wood stoves and oil lamps.
The water turns: early hydroelectricity (1900–1939)
The water turns: early hydroelectricity (1900–1939)
Quickly, Québec realized it had a hidden resource: its rivers. The first hydroelectric plants appeared in Shawinigan, Lachine, and Montmorency. Cities began to light up, industries expanded, and electricity started flowing.
Yet, the grid remained fragmented. Dozens of foreign-owned private companies ran the power supply, rates were high, and rural areas were left behind.
The unequal light (1930–1944)
By the 1930s, the gap was undeniable: cities like Montréal were electrified, while hundreds of villages remained in darkness. The pressure grew for a public solution — a unified grid that would serve everyone, not just those who could pay.
1944: Hydro-Québec is born — and the game changes
In 1944, Québec Premier Adélard Godbout took a historic step: he nationalized Montreal Light, Heat & Power to create Hydro-Québec — a public utility with the goal of electrifying the entire province fairly and efficiently.
This was only the beginning of a bold vision that would redefine the province’s future.
Rural electrification (1945–1960)
Across farms, forests, and small towns, electricity began to arrive — thanks to the work of rural cooperatives and line crews working in all seasons, often in rugged terrain.
Legends from this time tell of linemen installing 30+ poles a day by hand, in deep snow and dense brush. It was a true grassroots movement, connecting the province pole by pole.
The Quiet Revolution: Hydro-Québec becomes a giant (1960–1980)
In 1962, Premier Jean Lesage and Minister René Lévesque completed the full nationalization of the electricity sector.
Hydro-Québec became a provincial monopoly — and a symbol of economic independence, pride, and technical leadership. The utility quickly grew into a global reference in clean energy.
The mega-projects of the North
The north of Québec became the stage for some of the most daring energy projects ever built:
Manic-5 (1968): A colossal arch dam, still among the largest of its kind.
Churchill Falls (1971): A massive interprovincial project, both controversial and essential.
La Grande Complex (1970s–1990s): Known as the James Bay Project, championed by Premier
Robert Bourassa, it involved thousands of workers, decades of effort, and unprecedented logistical challenges.
These projects reshaped Québec’s landscape and sparked critical dialogue with Indigenous nations, leading to the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (1975) with the Cree Nation — a landmark in Canadian history.
Quebec, a sustainable energy power
Today, more than 99% of the electricity produced in Quebec is renewable, primarily from water. The network supplies millions of homes, as well as neighboring provinces and the United States.
Hydro-Québec is no longer simply a service: it is an economic engine, a technological showcase, and a symbol of collective autonomy.
And now ?
The story continues with a new generation of workers and companies—like PowerTech Energy Inc.—that maintain, modernize, and expand the network.
Every line installed today is part of this legacy. Every emergency addressed, every project completed, extends this great collective adventure that began over a century ago.
From copper wire to optical fiber, from the St. Lawrence Valley to James Bay, from candles to megawatts:
The story of Quebec's energy is that of a people who dared to dream... and build.