What’s new?
| Free guided tours
Departures from the heritage railway station, from Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tour the outdoor interpretation center with our guides. (Exact departure times may vary.) Duration: about 50 minutes. Tours are free. No reservations required.
For more information or to plan your visit and make a reservation, click here!
| Free guided tours of the Lac-Mégantic microgrid
Our free guided tours continue this fall! Departures from the heritage railway station will continue on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. until October 9; exact times may vary. Duration: about one hour. (Tours are in French.) Learn more
June 2022 | Free guided tours of the Lac-Mégantic microgrid
Free guided tours all summer long! Departures from the heritage railway station, from Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; exact times may vary. Duration: about an hour. (Tours are in French.) Learn more
June 2022 | The only fire station of its kind in Québec is under construction!
The fire department will be connected to the Lac-Mégantic microgrid and feature the most advanced energy technologies:
- Two-sided solar panels to generate electricity
- Energy storage batteries
- Energy management and control system
Thanks to its energy-efficient thermal envelope and technologies that reduce energy use, the fire station will also be a model of energy efficiency
December 2021 | Inauguration of the microgrid pavilion in the spirit of the holidays
Discover the architectural pavilion in downtown Lac‑Mégantic, at the very heart of the microgrid discovery tour. Take a look at the dashboard to follow the real‑time energy consumption and production of local buildings and the 72 solar panels on the roof of the pavilion that power the nearby heritage railway station and electric vehicle charging stations. The pavilion is a public gathering place that will host community activities.
On Saturday, December 4, kindergarten students at École Notre‑Dame‑de‑Fatima presented a Christmas concert to mark the pavilion’s inauguration and the start of the holiday season.
July 2021 | The Lac‑Mégantic microgrid discovery tour
Check out the Lac‑Mégantic microgrid discovery tour between the train station and the substation located near the town’s sports center. The tour will give you an idea of what the future has in store energy‑wise! Identify the buildings housing various technologies and learn more about how the microgrid works. Visit the exhibition in the heritage railway station—open throughout the summer—and learn, among other things, how electricity came to Lac‑Mégantic, at the instigation of Father Joseph‑Eugène‑Edmond Choquette, nicknamed the “Electric Priest.”
July 6, 2021 | Québec’s very first microgrid inaugurated in Lac-Mégantic!
Thank you to the contributors and to all the citizens of Lac-Mégantic who attended the official inauguration of the town’s microgrid, a groundbreaking project for an innovative, forward-looking community!
When planning the reconstruction of its downtown core following the rail disaster of July 2013, Lac-Mégantic set itself the challenge of becoming a hub of technological innovation. At the same time, Hydro-Québec was embarking on a major energy transition. The convergence of these two visions resulted in the microgrid, designed collaboratively over the months that ensued.
April 21, 2021 | The Lac-Mégantic microgrid project wins a Prix Novae 2021
The eighth edition of the Novae 2021 competition features 20 outstanding projects that apply innovation and originality to address social and environmental issues and have demonstrated the relevance and efficiency of their approaches. The unique partnership between Hydro-Québec land the town of Lac-Mégantic led to the development of Québec’s first microgrid and a technology showcase.
July 14, 2020 | Information session: Pavillon du microréseau
Public information session in the town of Lac-Mégantic on the Pavillon du microréseau (microgrid pavilion) livestreamed on Facebook. Watch or rewatch the session here (in French).
May 19, 2020 | The town of Lac-Mégantic hosts a public information session
A public information session on the rollout of Québec’s first microgrid was livestreamed on Facebook. Watch or rewatch the session here: first part, second part (in French only).
CANCELLATION - March 20 2020 | Lac-Mégantic microgrid open house – Centre sportif Mégantic
THE LAC-MÉGANTIC MICROGRID
An innovative project
in the heart of downtown
OPEN HOUSE
When will the microgrid be commissioned?
Where will the solar panels be installed?
What do the energy storage systems look like?
Why is the project part of the energy transition?
For answers to these questions and more, visit our information booths. We’d love to talk to you!
- Centre sportif Mégantic
- 5400, rue Papineau, Lac-Mégantic
Friday, March 20, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m
Event cancelled in accordance with the measures taken by the Government of Québec to limit the spread of COVID-19.
February 22, 2020 | Carnaval Mégantuque
Hydro-Québec representatives were on hand to chat with local residents and visitors about the microgrid.
January 2020 | Work on the Promenade Papineau
As part of the Lac-Mégantic microgrid project, work is underway to apply energy efficiency measures in buildings on Promenade Papineau.
Upgrades and improvements to mechanical HVAC systems will improve the working environment and overall comfort inside the buildings, while targeted energy management adapted to actual usage will result in energy savings.
August 29, 2019 | Canada Invests in Smart Grid Technologies in Lac-Mégantic
“To combat climate change, Canada needs new and innovative approaches to generating clean power. That is why supporting community-level smart grid projects that align with provincial priorities is a key component of the Government of Canada’s approach to a clean energy future.” Source: Natural Resources Canada.
May 29, 2019 | Conference 3 – Energy efficiency in residential buildings
Last conference of the season on another important aspect of the energy transition: energy efficiency in terms of optimizing energy use in residential buildings.
March 28, 2019 | Conference 2 –Transportation electrification
Second conference in the Bâtisseurs de solutions énergétiques (Building Energy Solutions) series, presented in Lac-Mégantic.
January 30, 2019 | Conference 1 – Transition énergétique et microréseau de Lac-Mégantic (The energy transition and the Lac-Mégantic microgrid)
First in a series of conferences entitled Bâtisseurs de solutions énergétiques (Building Energy Solutions), presented as part of the microgrid project for Lac-Mégantic residents. The conferences are held at the Centre sportif Mégantic.
July 6, 2018 | Inauguration of the microgrid center in Lac-Mégantic
Inauguration of the microgrid center in Lac-Mégantic, an interpretation center open to the public that showcases the microgrid construction project in the new downtown area of Lac-Mégantic.
March 28, 2018 | Presentation of a microgrid project
Presentation of a microgrid project at the annual meeting of the Association de l’industrie électrique du Québec (AIEQ) in Montréal.
February 23, 2018 | Announcement of microgrid project in Lac-Mégantic
