| Saint-Sylvestre | |
| Settlement Type: | Municipality |
| Pushpin Map: | Canada Southern Quebec |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in southern Quebec. |
| Coordinates: | 46.3667°N -85°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Type2: | Region |
| Subdivision Name2: | Chaudière-Appalaches |
| Subdivision Type3: | RCM |
| Subdivision Name3: | Lotbinière |
| Established Title1: | Constituted |
| Established Date1: | December 4, 1996 |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Mario Grenier |
| Leader Title1: | Federal riding |
| Leader Name1: | Lotbinière— Chutes-de-la-Chaudière |
| Leader Title2: | Prov. riding |
| Leader Name2: | Lotbinière-Frontenac |
| Area Total Km2: | 148.10 |
| Area Land Km2: | 146.41 |
| Population Total: | 1035 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | 7.1 |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Pop 2006-2011 |
| Population Blank1: | 6.4% |
| Population Blank2 Title: | Dwellings |
| Population Blank2: | 480 |
| Timezone: | EST |
| Utc Offset: | −5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | −4 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code(s) |
| Postal Code: | G0S 3C0 |
| Blank Name: | Highways |
| Blank Info: | |
| Area Code: | 418 and 581 |
Saint-Sylvestre (pronounced as /fr/) is a municipality in the Lotbinière Regional County Municipality, in Quebec, Canada. It is part of the Chaudière-Appalaches region and had a population is 989 as of 2009. It is named after Pope Sylvester I.
In 1948-1949, the Bélanger family of Saint-Sylvestre found fame in performing "healing miracles." Visitors from Canada and the United States came to be cured by one of the four Bélanger children, aged 8 to 12. The children allegedly acquired healing powers after having seen their deceased sisters dressed like angels and escorted by the Holy Virgin.
Visitors would leave money to the children for their curing deeds, and they received the support of Reverend Emile Bourassa, from neighbouring Saint-Patrice-de-Beaurivage. The priest of Saint-Sylvestre, Reverend Edmond Pelletier, preached against tse "miracles" and in 1949, Archbishop Maurice Roy, in the name of the Archdiocese of Quebec, ruled the affair as a hoax. The Bélanger home soon closed to visitors soon.[1]
From 1953 to 1964, Saint-Sylvestre hosted a Pinetree Line Radar station located on Mont Saint-Marguerite, just five miles southeast of the Village. Construction starting in 1952, the Station opened on 15 September 1953, as RCAF Station Ste-Marie, being renamed RCAF Station St. Sylvestre, in 1955. The Station closed in 1964.[2] [3] [4]