page_title: Beauharnois scandal
section_title: The money
hierarchical_section_title: Beauharnois scandal / The money
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Construction de la première phase de la centrale hydroélectrique de Beauharnois. English: Construction of the first phase of the Beauharnois hydroelectric generating station.
context_page_description: The Beauharnois scandal was a Canadian political scandal around 1930. The Beauharnois Light, Heat and Power Company had given $700,000 to the ruling Liberal Party of Canada in the run-up to the 1930 federal election in exchange for the right to change the flow of the St. Lawrence River through building a hydroelectric power station.
  The scandal "tainted" the reputation of Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, although it was not discovered until the year after he had lost the election. Later commentators have suggested it was the "most famous" example of political bribery in the decade.
context_section_description: The initial proposal to divert the river had met with opposition from rival hydroelectric companies, as well as shipping-related companies concerned about the impact on navigation and shipping. Two Liberal senators, W. L. McDougald and Haydon, received contributions from the company president, R. O. Sweezey. The donations were split between the Liberals' federal and Quebec provincial parties and were allegedly to secure the right to divert the St. Lawrence River 30 kilometres west of Montreal, to generate hydroelectricity. It was later revealed that King had taken an all-expenses-paid holiday to Bermuda paid for by Beauharnois. Having giving the Liberals the $700,000, Beauharnois made a similar offer to the Conservative party but it was believed that R. B. Bennett had forbidden the party to accept the pay-off.
caption: Further construction on the Beauharnois
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