waterfall on the Saint-Maurice River near Shawinigan, southern Quebec province, Can., about 19 miles (30 km) above Trois-Rivières city. The most powerful falls in the province, they have a drop of about 165 feet (50 m).

A hydroelectric plant built at Shawinigan Falls in 1903 was later expanded to provide power for the cities of Montreal and Quebec and for local industries. The falls were named from an Algonquian word meaning “crest,” because an early portage near the falls led over a rocky crest.