Radisson is a small
unconstituted locality situated near the
Robert-Bourassa hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...
power station
A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the electricity generation, generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electr ...
on the
La Grande River in the municipality of
Eeyou Istchee Baie-James in
Quebec
Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
, Canada. Geographically, Radisson is located halfway between the southern and northernmost points in Quebec and is, besides
Schefferville, the only non-native town north of the
53rd parallel in the province.
Despite its remoteness, Radisson has plenty of services for its residents and travellers: two fuel stations, hotel, motel, campground (summer only), a general store, restaurants, gift shops, a school and a hospital. It is also home to a huge Hydro-Québec employee facility, from where guided tours to the Robert-Bourassa power station start. It also houses employees of
Air Inuit who are stationed at
La Grande Rivière Airport.
The Cree village of
Chisasibi is about to the west, near the mouth of the La Grande River. To the East is the
Trans-Taiga Road (French: ''Route Transtaïga'') that leads to the
Caniapiscau Reservoir and the former construction camp of
Caniapiscau (now used by a wilderness outfitter).
History
Radisson was founded in 1974 to accommodate workers for the
James Bay hydroelectric project and named by the Société de développement de la Baie James after
Pierre-Esprit Radisson, a 17th-century French explorer and founder of the
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), originally the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading Into Hudson’s Bay, is a Canadian holding company of department stores, and the oldest corporation in North America. It was the owner of the ...
.
During the peak construction period in 1977, its population reached about 2,500 and has fluctuated since that time. Currently it is a community of about 300 people. The main employer is
Hydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec () is a Canadian Crown corporations of Canada#Quebec, Crown corporation public utility headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. It manages the electricity generation, generation, electric power transmission, transmission and electricity ...
and its main subsidiary, the
Société de l'énergie de la Baie James. Many locals are also employed in the tourism/hospitality industry that caters especially to the outdoor sports, such as hunting, fishing, and camping.
Radisson, also referred to on some unofficial maps as "La Grande", is part of the
Municipality of Baie-James which covers most of the territory of James Bay region, with the exception of the Cree villages as well as towns of
Chapais,
Chibougamau
Chibougamau () is the largest town in Nord-du-Québec, central Quebec, Canada. Located on Lake Gilman, it has a population of 7,233 people (2021 Canadian census). Chibougamau is surrounded by, but not part of, the local municipality of Eeyou ...
,
Matagami and
Lebel-sur-Quévillon
Lebel-sur-Quévillon () is a city (Quebec), city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec, located on Quebec Route 113, Route 113 in the Jamésie region. It is located approximately 88 kilometres north of Senneterre ...
, all of which are enclaves.
The town is accessible by road from
Matagami, to the south. The road is known as the
James Bay Road
The James Bay Road (), officially the Billy-Diamond Highway (), is a remote wilderness highway winding its way through the Canadian Shield in northwestern Quebec and reaches into the James Bay region. It starts in Matagami, Quebec, Matagami as an ...
(French: ''Route de la Baie James'') and was built during the construction of the James Bay Project in the mid-1970s. No services whatsoever are available along this road with the exception of a 24-hour service station, complete with cafeteria and lodging, at kilometre 381. The road is fully paved, well maintained and ploughed during the winter, making Radisson accessible year-round. It is also accessible via
La Grande Rivière Airport.
Climate
Demographics
In the
2021 Census of Population conducted by
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada (StatCan; ), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. It is headquartered in ...
, Radisson had a population of 203 living in 105 of its 235 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 468. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.
References
External links
*
Virtual tour of Radisson, photos(English)
{{authority control
Communities in Nord-du-Québec
Designated places in Quebec
James Bay Project
Unconstituted localities in Quebec