Francois is a local service district and designated place in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is located on the southern coast of Newfoundland on François Bay at the end of a small fjord. There is a general store, a post office and a small museum, accessed by concrete pathways and boardwalks. Most residents pronounce the name "Fran-sway", and its proper spelling is without the cedilla found in the French word françois. Francois is inaccessible by road and may be reached only by air or sea.

History

The community was first settled in the 1700s, and resisted the government resettlement programs of the mid 20th century, though it reconsidered and rejected resettlement in 2013 and again in 2021.

Geography

François is in Newfoundland within Subdivision E of Division No. 3. It is located on the southern coast of Newfoundland on François Bay at the end of a small fjord. The community is approximately 36 km east of the community of Grey River.

Demographics

As a designated place in the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, François recorded a population of 64 living in 28 of its 47 total private dwellings, a change of NaN% from its 2016 population of 89. With a land area of 5.09 km2, it had a population density of in 2016.

Government

Francois is a local service district (LSD) that is governed by a committee responsible for the provision of certain services to the community. The chair of the LSD committee is Austin Fudge.

Transportation

There is no road to the village, which can only be accessed by boat and helicopter, and snowmobile in the winter. Francois is serviced by an intra-provincial ferry in Burgeo.