School tours of Beauharnois
generating station
(Montérégie)
A captivating free field trip!
School groups are welcome to tour Beauharnois generating station free of charge throughout the year. In the company of our guides, your students will discover its exceptional history, which began with picks and shovels in 1929, and learn more about hydropower generation from the force of water and electromagnets. The end of the tour takes the students to the very heart of the generating station to see a generating unit in operation. Fascinating and educational!
Schedule and practical information
Capacity
Maximum of 60 people, students and supervisors included, per tour. When there are more than 30 people, we make two groups .
Supervision of students
We recommend supervisors for all groups:
- One adult per group of 10 students aged 9 to 12
- One adult per group of 20 students aged 13 to 17
Teachers and supervisors must remain with the students for the entire length of the tour and commit to helping the guides ensure a safe tour.
Tour tailored to the level of education
Touring our facilities is an excellent tie-in with the Québec Education Program, especially in terms of the acquisition and development of competencies in mathematics, science and technology and social sciences.
Elementary Cycle Two
Broad areas of learning
- Environmental awareness and consumer rights and responsibilities
Subject areas and competencies
- Science and technology: competencies 1, 2 and 3
Essential knowledges related to competencies
- The material world: energy, forces and motion, systems and interaction, associated language
- Earth and space: matter, energy, appropriate language
Elementary Cycle Three
Broad areas of learning
- Personal and career planning
- Environmental awareness and consumer rights and responsibilities
Subject areas and competencies
- Science and technology: competencies 1, 2 and 3
- Social sciences: competencies 1 and 2
Essential knowledges related to competencies
- The material world: energy, forces and motion, systems and interaction, associated language
- Earth and space: energy, associated language
- Knowledge relating to the organization of a society in its territory: Québec society around 1980
- Knowledge relating to change in a society and its territory: Québec society between 1905 and 1980
Secondary/Vocational
Broad areas of learning
- Environmental awareness and consumer rights and responsibilities
- Personal and career planning
Subject areas and competencies
- Science and technology: competencies 2 and 3
- Social sciences: competency 1
Complementary programs
- Construction electricity
- Automated system electromechanics
- Maintenance electricity
- Power line construction
Topics covered
- Generation of hydropower
- Generation of electricity by electromagnetic induction
- Transmission of electricity
- Operation of a generating unit
- Tour of a turbine shaft
- Main stages of electrification in Québec
- History and construction stages of the generating station
- Role and importance of the generating station for the Hydro‑Québec system
- Land use planning: locks, canals and the St. Lawrence Seaway
- Hydraulic power of the Fleuve Saint‑Laurent [St. Lawrence River]
- Water management
- Architecture of the generating station (Art Deco)
CEGEP
Complementary programs
- Science 200.BO (Physics 203-NYB-05 and 203-NYC-05)
- Arts and Sciences 700.AO (Physics 1 and 2)
- Engineering programs
- Industrial electronics programs
Topics covered
- Generation of hydropower
- Generation of electricity by electromagnetic induction
- Transmission of electricity
- Operation of a generating unit
- Tour of a turbine shaft
- Main stages of electrification in Québec
- History of the generating station
- Role and importance of the generating station for the Hydro-Québec system
- Land use planning: locks, canals and the St. Lawrence Seaway
- Hydraulic power of the Fleuve Saint‑Laurent [St. Lawrence River]
- Water management
- Architecture of the generating station (Art Deco)
University
We tailor the tour to your needs.
Topics covered
- Generation of hydropower
- Generation of electricity by electromagnetic induction
- Transmission of electricity
- Operation of a generating unit
- Tour of a turbine shaft
- Main stages of electrification in Québec
- History of the generating station
- Role and importance of the generating station for the Hydro‑Québec system
- Land use planning: locks, canals and the St. Lawrence Seaway
- Hydraulic power of the Fleuve Saint‑Laurent [St. Lawrence River]
- Water management
- Architecture of the generating station (Art Deco)
Combos
Hydro Combo
Immerse yourself in the world of electricity by touring both Beauharnois generating station and the Électrium, Hydro‑Québec’s electricity interpretation center. An electrifying day!
Hydro-Archaeo Combo
Heritage is in the spotlight with the Hydro‑Archaeo Combo! Discover all the riches of the Suroît region by combining a tour of the Beauharnois generating station with a visit of Pointe-du-Buisson, Musée québécois d’archéologie, which is just a few minutes away. Please note that admission fees apply for Pointe-du-Buisson.
Find out about combos from our guides when booking by telephone.
Reservations
School group schedule
September to June
Monday to Friday, subject to availability
Length of tour: 90 minutes
Price: Free
Telephone reservations required
1 800 365-5229 (toll-free)
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Virtual guided tour of Beauharnois generating station
Your group can’t travel? You can now visit our historic generating station virtually, in real time, no matter where you are. And it’s free!
In the company of a dynamic guide, you’ll learn about the nature of electricity, discover the generating station’s history and explore its core to see hydropower being generated as if you were there!
Find out moreabout our virtual guided toursPreparing for your tour
We provide teachers with quality educational resources they can use to teach young people about various electricity-related notions, such as sustainability, energy efficiency, the environment and safety.
