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Power Visitor Centre Teams Up With River Institute

May 26, 2015
By Kyle Lister

Cornwall Ontario – The Power Development Visitor Centre in Cornwall is now open for the summer, and an expanded partnership with the River Institute will help drive visitors to the riverside facility.

The Visitor Centre offers people a chance to explore the history of the St. Lawrence Seaway and learn the story of the communities that were moved in the 1950s to make way for the construction. It features a number of informative and interactive exhibits ranging from explanations about how electricity is generated by dams to the innovative eel ladder.

Perhaps even more impressive is the Visitor Centre’s scenic location on the St. Lawrence River overlooking the majestic R.H. Saunders Generating Station. The Centre is accessible via the Waterfront Trail and offers a number of sightseeing vistas along Cornwall’s riverside.

This summer the Power Development Visitor Centre has partnered with the St. Lawrence River Insitute of Environmental Sciences with a series of workshops and other events.

The Visitor Centre is located on Second Street West and offers many family friendly activities, namely the five part family-oriented environmental workshops and the Scientist in Residence Program held throughout the summer.

Environmental Workshops

This summer, family-oriented environmental workshops will be held at the centre on a variety of different topics including biodiversity, fish, bats, insects and birds. The first workshop will be held on May 30th from noon to 4:00PM.

  • Wild for Wildlife (Biodiversity is a blast) – Saturday May 30th – (noon-4:00pm)
  • Fish Workshop – Saturday June 27th – (noon-4:00pm)
  • The Buzz on Insects – Saturday July 22nd – (7:00-9:00pm)
  • Bat Workshop – Saturday August 15th – (noon-4:00pm)
  • Birds in our Backyard – Saturday September 12th – (noon-4:00pm)

For more details about the dates and topics of the workshops, see the River Institute’s webpage.

Scientist in Residence Program

Visitors will have an chance interact with a real scientist on Wednesdays (and sometimes Thursdays) throughout the summer.  These scientists may include Matt Windle, whose research pertains to fish, and Dr. Brian Hickey, whose research focuses on bats.For more information about the Scientist in Residence Program, please visit the River Institute’s webpage.

About the St. Lawrence Power Development Visitor Centre

The Visitor Centre is located on the bank of the St. Lawrence River east of the Robert H Saunders Generating Station, at 2500B Second Street West in the west end of Cornwall. This 13,000 square foot LEED building, opened in the summer of 2010, is the new home of OPG’s many stories. It recounts the fascinating history of the St. Lawrence Seaway and Power Project and addresses its impact on specific communities such as the Mohawks of Akwesasne and the Lost Villages. There is a variety of video presentations available, and displays on hydroelectric, thermal and nuclear generation, safety around power facilities, the American eel and the St. Lawrence Seaway. As well, a community room is available for use by local organizations.

Regular hours are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday.

For more information on The St. Lawrence Power Development Visitor Centre please visit:

Don’t know how to get to the Visitor Centre? Here are the GPS coordinates:

45o 00’ 30.2” N
74o 47’ 1.4” W

About the St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences

The River Institute was established in 1994 as a unique community partnership involving government, education, business and industry, and the Mohawks of Akwesasne. Its mandate is environmental research and education with a focus on the Great Lakes / St. Lawrence River ecosystem. It has earned an international reputation for its fresh water ecosystem research projects. In 2013, the Institute launched a new Applied Research and Technical Services Branch. Find out more here:

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