Robert-Bourassa Hydroelectric Generating Facility (James Bay)

Built in the early 1970s, the Robert-Bourassa hydroelectric generating facilities include the following structures:

• Robert-Bourassa generating station, located 137 m underground in the depths of the Canadian Shield. From an intake in a secondary valley, the water enters the 16 penstocks that channel the water to the 16 turbines. The machine hall is four storeys tall and 483 m long.
• A dam the height of a 53-storey building. The dam and 29 dikes hold back the waters of the Grande Rivière to create the head needed to drive the turbines.
• A reservoir almost three times the size of Lac Saint-Jean. It occupies about 1% of the complex area and has a storage capacity of 61.7 billion m3.
• A spillway, nicknamed "the giant's staircase" because of its 10 steps, each 10 m high. It is 1.5 km long and can discharge 16,280 m3/s of water, or twice the flow of the St. Lawrence River at Montréal.

Visits:

• Tour of outdoor sites: Robert-Bourassa hydroelectric facilities
• Tour of Robert-Bourassa underground generating station

Notice to persons with Pacemakers: Electromagnetic fields in power plants may disrupt pacemaker function. As a precaution, persons with pacemakers will not be allowed on the segment of the guided tour that takes place inside the power plant.

Cost of visit: $800/person
Travel time: full day including air travel return

07:00: Check-in at Propair private terminal
9325, Ryan Avenue, Dorval
514 631-3000

07:30: Departure from Montreal
Breakfast served on board

10:00: Welcome at La Grande Rivière Airport
by a Hydro-Québec representative
Departure for the town of Radisson (Hydro-Québec coach)

10:45: Hydro-Québec Interpretation Centre in Radisson (Amphitheatre)
Tour of the centre
General presentation of the La Grande Complex

12:00: Auberge Radisson
Lunch

13:30: Tour of the exterior sites: Robert-Bourassa hydroelectric facilities
Tour of the village
Water intakes, dikes and dam
Spillway
Lookouts

15:00: Tour of the Robert-Bourassa underground generating station
Machine hall
Turbine pit

16:30: Departure for La Grande Rivière Airport

17:00: Check-in at La Grande Rivière Airport

17:30: Departure from La Grande
Dinner served on board

20:00: Arrival at Propair private terminal
Return to the Palais des congrès de Montréal