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There are many good reasons why the St-Maurice River remains a secret. For decades, the powerful Quebec waterway, which flows into the St. Lawrence halfway between Montreal and Quebec City, has been a toxic-waste disposal site. Aluminum smelters, paper mills and other heavy industry placed Shawinigan and Trois-Rivieres among the wealthiest cities in Canada 50 years ago, but also used the river as a workhorse--to float logs, cool down machines, produce power and "lose" waste. The St-Maurice has been cleaned up, and is now yours to explore and enjoy. In Shawinigan, make sure to visit La Cite de l' energie, a hands-on history and technology museum, and climb to its 115-m-high observatory, built on top of a discarded hydro tower.