Saint-Ferdinand is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in the

Centre-du-Québec Centre-du-Québec (, ''Central Quebec'') is a region of Quebec, Canada. The main centres are Drummondville, Victoriaville, and Bécancour. It has a land area of and a 2016 Census population of 242,399 inhabitants. Description The Centre-du- ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

of the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. It is notable for its location on the shores of Lake William on the

Bécancour River The Bécancour River is a river flowing in the administrative region of Centre-du-Québec, in Quebec, Canada. Geography The Bécancour takes its source from the lake of the same name in the town of Thetford Mines, in the Chaudière-Appalach ...

, nestled within the

Appalachia Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ca ...

foothill Foothills or piedmont are geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range, higher hill range or an upland area. They are a transition zone between plains and low relief hills and the adjacent topograp ...

s, making Saint-Ferdinand a popular vacation spot in both summer (for

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cour ...

and

surface water sports The following is a list of surface water sports. These are sports which are performed atop a body of water. Boat racing Motorized racing * Hydroplane racing * Bathtub racing Rowing * Canoeing * Kayaking * Sculling * Dragon boat racing Sailing ...

) and winter (for

snowmobiling A snowmobile, also known as a Ski-Doo, snowmachine, sled, motor sled, motor sledge, skimobile, or snow scooter, is a motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow. It is designed to be operated on snow and ice and does not ...

and ATV riding). St-Ferdinand was once home to a large health care facility, the St-Julien Hospital, founded in 1870; however, rural exodus and the establishment of more advanced facilities in greater population centres such as

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...

led to the indefinite closing of the facility in 2003, after several years of reduced operations as a long-term care facility.Municipalité de St-Ferdinand: L'Hôpital St-Julien
Accessed 28-August–2007. Saint-Ferdinand has one elementary school, École Notre-Dame.

References

{{authority control Municipalities in Quebec Incorporated places in Centre-du-Québec Canada geography articles needing translation from French Wikipedia