Lac Mégantic (lake)

Lac Mégantic, 26 km², elev 395 m, 75 m deep, is located in a depression of the Appalachians in southern Québec, 6 km from the US border. LAC-MÉGANTIC, the only town of the region, is located at its outlet, which is the source of the Rivière CHAUDIÈRE. Discovered in 1646 by Father Gabriel Druillettes, the ABENAKI, who gave it the name Namagontekw, meaning "place of the salmon trout." Surrounded by the Montagnes Bleues, the lake is fed by a network of valleys that drain the surrounding forests. A large and important wetland for waterfowl is located at its head. Once used to float timber, it is now popular with fishermen and vacationers. In late 1775, during the American Revolution, Colonel Benedict ARNOLD's troops used Lac Mégantic and Rivière Chaudière to attack Québec City from Boston.