Hydro Quebec James Bay Project

It was specially built to accommodate very heavy equipment up to 500 tons.

Hydro quebec james bay project. The james bay hydroelectric project represents a series of huge builds each one of which can be considered a mega project on its own. From 1950 1970 studies were made of the hydro electric potential of the region of quebec east of james bay. Then quebec premier robert bourassa left shakes hands with inuit and cree representatives in montreal on nov. The road was started in 1971 and finished in only 420 days.

15 1974 after quebec signed a hydro agreement with the cree in james bay. The government of quebec in order to exploit the water resources of the rivers to the east of james bay to produce electrical power approved the james bay hydroelectric power project which divides the regions river system into major hydroelectric schemes. In 1971 hydro quebec and the quebec government initiated the james bay project a monumental hydroelectric power development on the east coast of james bay. The first electrical transmission line between canada and the united states was built in 1900.

The james bay project french. It followed typical practice of neither informing the cree people living in the area nor estimating the consequences of the development as far as they were concerned. In 1920 hydroelectric power accounted for 97 percent of electricity generated in canada. Canadas first major hydroelectric facility was constructed at shawinigan falls quebec in 1898.

Projet de la baie james refers to the construction of a series of hydroelectric power stations on the la grande river in northwestern quebec canada by state owned utility hydro quebec and the diversion of neighbouring rivers into the la grande watershed. The quebec government announced plans in april 1971 for a hydroelectric project in the baie james region of northern quebec. Over the course of two phases they built a total of eight generating stations allowing for the pollution free production of a significant portion of quebecs electricity. The first scheme to be completed was the la grande complex.

Quebec sees the james bay project as the key. Accounts from such sources at the cree and hydro quebec archives indicate bourassa then a backbencher in the quebec liberal party met with hydro quebec president roland giroux in december 1969 and emerged ready to champion the james bay plan. In april 1971 robert bourassa announced the development of the la gande complex calling it the project of the century the james bay road was built starting in 1971 and took 400 days to complete. In 1971 northern quebec became a political battleground as the provincial government and the james bay cree faced off over a hydroelectric mega project.