On Thursday, Quebec Premier François Legault inaugurated the "La Romaine" hydropower complex in the Côte-Nord region of northeastern Quebec.

This is the most significant hydropower generation complex to be launched in Quebec since the "Baie-James" project.

"It makes me very proud. It is truly a symbol of Quebec ingenuity," said Legault joyfully in front of the attendees, including dignitaries and workers.

The leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government also praised his predecessors, including former Quebec Premier Jean Charest, who was among the guests, affirming that they made "the right choices."

"Today, thanks to these choices, we have the lowest electricity prices in North America," said Legault.

Charest, who led the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) to victory in three consecutive general elections in 2003, 2007, and 2008, initiated the construction of "La Romaine" in 2009. During his conversation with reporters today on the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony, he said that his invitation to the ceremony was a "pleasant surprise" for him.

Legault was accompanied by his Minister of Economy, Innovation, and Energy, Pierre Fitzgibbon, and the chairman of Hydro-Québec, Quebec's public electricity company, Michael Sabia.

The "La Romaine" complex also includes four power generation stations and will produce 8 terawatt-hours annually, enough to meet the electricity needs of 470,000 homes.

Construction started in 2009 and concluded in 2023, with a cost of $7.4 billion.

However, the complex also had a tragic human cost, as four workers lost their lives during its construction.

The "La Romaine" complex is located north of the town of Havre-Saint-Pierre, near the border with Newfoundland and Labrador.

Its construction led to the flooding of vast lands, as Jean-Charles Piatacho, leader of the Innu Nation from Ekuanitshit, said in his speech today at the inauguration ceremony.

"The oldest resident in our village turned 92 years old on October 5, but it was difficult to invite her to be with me today, because her hometown (...) was flooded," said Piatacho regretfully.

Piatacho called on all stakeholders to "rethink" their relationships with the First Nations and the Inuit community.