ShawiniganQuebec
51,739 people call this town in Quebec home.
Is Shawinigan a good place to live?
A strong record with one exception. Shawinigan ranks #290 of 499 in Quebec, with a B overall. That leaves it better than 61% of Canadian towns. Residents are healthier than most (A). Add walkability to its strengths (A−). Work and incomes lag (C−).
No School Grade: this province doesn't publish comparable results school by school. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.
What makes Shawinigan stand out
The 3 things Shawinigan does most differently from other towns.
How Shawinigan grades
Each subject compares Shawinigan with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
La Mauricie National Park and 10 more in and around Shawinigan
A first look at Shawinigan’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.
National park · Parks CanadaLa Mauricie National Parkin town
MuseumLa Cité de l'Énergiein town
MuseumMokotakan2.7 km outside town, to the westAttractionAttractionVallée Rocaniganin townTheme parkTheme parkArbre en Arbre Shawiniganin townArt galleryArt galleryGalerie D Art & Atelier De Aapcmin townPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- La Mauricie National Park: Marc-Lautenbacher, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- La Cité de l'Énergie: Sylvain Perron, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Mokotakan: Anne Ecuyer, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Shawinigan.
Few places match Shawinigan for health: it beats 85% of Canadian towns
Source area for health survey and life expectancy: the Région de la Mauricie et du Centre-du-Québec
13% of adults smoke, daily or now and then, above Quebec’s towns (12%) and Canadian towns (12%) alike. People in the region live to 81.6 on average: 83.3 for women and 79.9 for men in 2022/2024. In the health survey, 61% of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, more than Quebec’s 57%. The town’s own part is the trip to care: residents of Shawinigan live 4.5 km from a hospital on average, close to the typical town’s 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Shawinigan | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very good or excellent health | 61% | 56% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 14% | 15% | 17% |
| Smokers | 13% | 12% | 12% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.6 | 82.5 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Commuters in Shawinigan have a short way to work, 22 min on average, less than in both Quebec’s towns and Canadian towns
91% of commuters drove, near both Quebec’s towns (90%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Shawinigan | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 22 min | 27 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 91% | 90% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
Flood mapping exists for Shawinigan: 1 on record, latest by Gouvernement du Québec
Area-wide: radon tests, counted over the Mauricie et Centre-du-Quebec health region
The expected yearly loss to earthquakes is $0.090 for each $1,000 of buildings, lower than Quebec’s towns ($0.14) yet higher than Canadian towns ($0.030). Burn scars are few around Shawinigan, with 0.3% of the land within 25 km touched by fire since 1986 (0.01% a year).
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Shawinigan | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 0% | 8.2% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.090 | $0.14 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Shawinigan’s Violent Crime Severity Index, 113, runs above Quebec’s towns and Canadian towns
Each year, 19.3 violent crimes are recorded per 1,000 residents. Thefts, break-ins and damage came to 19.8 per 1,000 residents a year, above Quebec’s towns (16.6) but below Canadian towns (31.2).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Shawinigan | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 19.3 | 12.4 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 113 | 88 | 86 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 19.8 | 16.6 | 31.2 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
25% of Shawinigan’s residents speak English and French (Quebec’s towns: 44%; Canadian towns: 7.5%)
2.2% of residents belong to a visible minority, below both Quebec’s towns (3.5%) and Canadian towns (15%). First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 1.7% of residents, above Quebec’s towns (1.5%) but below Canadian towns (2.8%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 51.3% of Shawinigan
Census 2021 put women at 25,455 and men at 24,165; women are 50.9% of Canada.
| Shawinigan | Quebec | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 56% | 62% | 64% |
| 65+ | 31% | 20% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 23% | 19% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 54% | 59% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Quebec and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Snowfall in Shawinigan tops that of 90% of Canadian towns: about 274 cm a year
A normal December brings 69 cm of snow, the most of any month. Midsummer afternoons in Shawinigan peak at about 25.1°C. There are 145 days of frost in a typical year, below both Quebec’s towns (161) and Canadian towns (159). The most precipitation falls in July: 125 mm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Shawinigan | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 274 cm | 217 cm | 141 cm |
| July afternoon high | 25.1°C | 26.5°C | 25.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 1,101 mm | 1,041 mm | 883 mm |
| Days with frost a year | 145 | 161 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Trois-Rivières)
La Mauricie National Park surrounds Shawinigan
Count 40 protected areas within 10 km of town. Protected areas cover nearly a quarter of the land within 10 km, above both Quebec’s towns (4.9%) and Canadian towns (2.3%). Within its own boundary, 61% of the town is protected. The nearest provincial park, Mont-Tremblant National Park (Québec), is 64 km away.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Shawinigan | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 24% | 4.9% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 18 | 10 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Home ownership in Shawinigan, 56%, runs below Quebec’s towns and Canadian towns
Shared with the rest of the Shawinigan metro area: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom
14% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, above Quebec’s towns (13%) but below Canadian towns (18%). A year’s rent came to 19% of the median household income, about level with Quebec’s towns (18%) and below Canadian towns (20%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Shawinigan | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 56% | 70% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 14% | 13% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 19% | 18% | 20% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · These are 2021 census values, as owners judged them, set against household income in 2020.
Expect November days around 5°C in Shawinigan, nights around −1°C
Next comes December, with normal highs of −2°C and lows of −9°C. Snowfall in a normal November: 24 cm. In November, the normal is 88 mm of rain and snow. The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Shawinigan.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −4°C | −12°C | 244 mm |
| Spring | 9°C | 0°C | 247 mm |
| Summer | 24°C | 15°C | 325 mm |
| Autumn | 12°C | 5°C | 285 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Trois-Rivières); the forecast is on the Weather page
4,700 residents per council seat in Shawinigan, a higher ratio than 96% of Quebec municipalities
For federal votes, Shawinigan belongs to Saint-Maurice—Champlain, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP); François-Philippe Champagne (Liberal Party of Canada) holds it.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Shawinigan has 8 public library branches
Shawinigan public library counts 51,561 people in its service area.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
3 school boards share Shawinigan
In English: one of the 30 schools, where in Quebec the share is 10%. Its 3 km reach takes in 21 elementary schools, 7 secondary schools and 2 schools for every grade, all of Shawinigan’s schooling.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École de la Petite-Rivière - Villa-de-la-JeunesseIn ShawiniganElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
| École de l'ÉnergieIn ShawiniganAll grades | All grades | – | French public |
| École secondaire de Shawinigan EnglishTeaches in EnglishAll grades | All grades | – | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Shawinigan | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 3 | 2 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2025-26 · Ungraded on schools in Quebec, because the ministry publishes its success rates by school service centre, not school by school.
An older town: 42% of Shawinigan’s homes predate 1961
The list takes in 2 Recognized Federal Heritage Buildings, 2 heritage railway stations and a municipal citation. Of the dated places, Domaine Beauséjour is the oldest, from 1885. The registers put 8 historic places inside its boundary, 3 of them of the highest rank.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Shawinigan | Quebec | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 42% | 21% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Everything we know about Shawinigan
Famous people from Shawinigan
95 notable people were born in Shawinigan.
Photo credits
Jean Chrétien: Michael Ignatieff, CC BY 2.0 · Allyn Ann McLerie: CBS Television, Public domain · Marcel Pronovost: TGC-Topps Gum Cards, Public domain · Louise Forestier: Pierre5018, CC BY 4.0 · Rudolf Raff: VRosei, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Anabelle Langlois: David W. Carmichael, CC BY-SA 3.0
Shawinigan’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawinigan | 51,739 | — | B | B | C+ | A |
| Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel | 6,613 | 11 | A | A | A | A− |
| Saint-Boniface | 5,405 | 11 | A+ | A | A− | A− |
| Hérouxville | 1,570 | 12 | — | A+ | B | B+ |
| Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc | 1,598 | 13 | — | A | A− | A− |
| Saint-Étienne-des-Grès | 4,675 | 16 | A+ | A | A− | A− |
| Saint-Narcisse | 1,848 | 19 | — | B | A | B+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Shawinigan
Is Shawinigan a young town or an old one?
Its median age is 54.4, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2. Under-15s are 13% of residents; over-65s, 31%.
What kind of homes are in Shawinigan?
50% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 0% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 1.9 people; 44% are one person living alone.
Is Shawinigan growing?
Yes: the census counted 49,349 in 2016 and 49,620 in 2021, a rise of 0.5%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 51,739.
About Shawinigan
Town in Quebec
Statistics Canada treats Shawinigan as a single census subdivision in Quebec, and TownRatings keeps to that line.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 51,739 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Quebec
- Census subdivision
- 2436033
Sources: Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021 · population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155) and 2021 census boundaries · Uniform Crime Reporting Survey 2023–25 (35-10-0026, 35-10-0183 to 35-10-0190) · CMHC rents as published by Statistics Canada (34-10-0133) · grades by TownRatings. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).