| Sainte-Félicité | |
| Flag Size: | 120x80px |
| Pushpin Map: | Canada Eastern Quebec |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in eastern Quebec. |
| Coordinates: | 48.9°N -87°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Canada |
| Established Title: | Settled |
| Established Date: | mid 19th century |
| Established Title1: | Constituted |
| Established Date1: | January 10, 1996 |
| Government Footnotes: | [1] |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Claudine Desjardins |
| Area Total Km2: | 90.60 |
| Area Land Km2: | 90.73 |
| Area Note: | There is an apparent contradiction between two authoritative sources |
| Population Total: | 1100 |
| Population Density Km2: | 12.1 |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Pop 2016-2021 |
| Population Blank1: | 1.2% |
| Population Blank2 Title: | Dwellings |
| Population Blank2: | 580 |
| Population Demonym: | Félicitois, Félicitoise |
| Utc Offset: | −05:00 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | −04:00 |
| Blank Name: | Highways |
Sainte-Félicité is a municipality in La Matanie Regional County Municipality of Quebec, Canada, located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River. It is named after saint Felicitas of Rome, a Christian martyr. Its economy is based on fishing and agriculture.
Notable people who came from Sainte-Félicité include Québécois pop singer Isabelle Boulay, who was born there in 1972.
In addition to Sainte-Félicité itself, the municipality also includes the communities of Cap-à-la-Baleine, L'Anse-à-la-Croix, Le Grand-Deuxième, Le Petit-Deuxième, and Sainte-Félicité-Ouest.
According to recent studies, Cap à la Baleine (Cape Whale) was how far Jacques Cartier sailed up the St. Lawrence in 1534. It was also an area with many shipwrecks, earning it the name Pointe-au-Massacre (Massacre Point), sometimes pluralized as Pointe-aux-Massacres. While Saint-Denis, the name of the geographic township, was used concurrently, the macabre name remained in use until the mid 19th century and was the inspiration for the current name, because Bishop Charles-François Baillargeon wrote "je change le Massacre en Félicité" ("I change the massacre to happiness") in 1860.[2]
In 1857, a mission was established. In 1864, the post office opened under the name Sainte-Félicité. In 1866, the place was incorporated as the Township Municipality of Saint-Denis, but two years later changed its name and status to Parish Municipality of Sainte-Félicité.[2]
In 1955, the main settlement separated from the parish municipality and was incorporated as the Village Municipality of Sainte-Félicité.[2]
On January 10, 1996, the current Municipality of Sainte-Félicité was formed when the Village Municipality and Parish Municipality were rejoined together again.[2]