July 22nd, 2024

The first highlight of our trip: the Daniel Johnson Dam, formerly known as Manic 5.

When we started our trip, we decided to take the north side of the Saint Laurent River just to visit Manic 5. It did not disappoint! I should start by saying that it is a commitment to visit: it takes 2-3 hours just to get there, then another 1-2 hours for the visit… and at the end of that, another 3 hours to get back “home.” This is not meant to scare anyone or discourage anyone from visiting. It’s the opposite: to make the most out of this experience, you need to prepare accordingly, bring water, your lunch, and fill your gas tank before you start your trip. Then you’re in for some wonderful landscapes, small lakes and ponds, and a surprisingly fun road to drive (no orange cones here).

---

Coming back to Manic 5, one interesting fact is that the water basin can be seen from space. It’s that BIG: it surrounds Île René-Levasseur, which ensures a consistent water flow.

The second interesting fact is that the same water flow that produces electricity at Manic 5 is “reused” downstream for three other power plants: Manic 1, Manic 2, and Manic 3. There is no Manic 4, as one might expect, because the waterfall at Manic 3 is powerful enough to generate electricity for what would have been both plants 3 and 4 combined. The reservoir of Manic 3 is higher than where Manic 4 was supposed to be built, so the Manic 4 waterfall is now underwater, “inside” Manic 3 reservoir.

---

Here are some photos from the road:

*Click left or right arrow for more pictures

---

We were not allowed to film or take pictures inside the powerhouse, but we can tell you it was impressive. Also, we visited the Manic-5-PA (PA stands for puissance additionnelle or additional power) powerhouse, not the older one.

Below photos from outside of Manic-5:

*Click left or right arrow for more pictures

*Click left or right arrow for more pictures

---

After visiting Manic 5 and Baie-Comeau, we took the ferry from Godbout to Matane to continue our trip around Gaspésie and the Maritimes. The ferry was massive, and inside it looked like an airport lounge with restaurants, nice chairs, observation decks, and more. It made the 2-hours ride much smoother. Meeko behaved like a champ, spending 3 hours in the trailer by himself and being very happy to see us on the other side of the river.

Stay tuned for the next post at Cap-Chat.

Cati & Pasc