The Montmorency Falls form a large waterfall in Quebec, Canada, located near Quebec City. The falls, at 84 meters (275 ft) high, are the highest in the province of Quebec and 30 m (98 ft) higher than Niagara Falls. The basin at the foot of the falls is 17 m (56 ft) deep. The falls are at the mouth of the Montmorency River where it drops over the cliff shore into the Saint Lawrence River, opposite the western end of the Île d’Orleans. The falls were given this name in 1613 by Samuel de Champlain. He named them in honour of Henri II, duc de Montmorency, who served as viceroy of New France from 1620 until 1625.
There are staircases that allow visitors to view the falls from several different perspectives. A suspension bridge over the crest of falls provides access to both sides of the park as well as a spectacular view. There is also an aerial tram (cable car) that carries passengers between the base and the top of the falls (this was closed during the winter). In the summer the park hosts an international fireworks competition with the falls as a backdrop. (taken and adapted from Wikipedia)
In winter the freezing spray sent up by crashing water builds a mountain of white ice at the base called the pain de sucre (sugarloaf).
The mound is so large that it completely dwarfs the people around it.
It looks like a fantastic hill for toboganning, but this wasn’t allowed in the park.
Half of the waterfall was frozen, so it was difficult to gauge how large the falls really were.
Close Up of the Falls
Many others were taking pictures of this famous Quebec natural wonder!
With the sun shining it was a perfect day to stroll around the park. Eventhough there are many skidoo tracks, we did not see any during our visit. They made interesting patterns in the snow though!
The Montmorency Falls Park goes on for miles and miles. In the winter, the water below is frozen and makes for a great place to stroll.
The Île d’Orléans Bridge, known locally as the Pont de l’Île, is a suspension bridge that spans the Saint Lawrence River between Montmorency Falls, in Quebec City, and Île d’Orléans (Orléans Island) in Quebec. This suspension bridge was constructed in 1934 to answer an electoral promise made by Premier Louis-Alexandre Taschereau to Montmorency County.
Sainte-Anne de Beaupré is a tiny town on the shores of the St. Lawrence River, 20 miles above Quebec City. The village is home to (and named for) the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, a major Catholic shrine and place of healing that attracts more than a million pilgrims per year. The first chapel was built on this site by early settlers in 1658 to house a miraculous statue of St. Anne. By 1688 it had become a site of local pilgrimage, and by 1707, First Nations peoples were coming to venerate the saint they called “Grandmother in the Faith.”
The first miracle attributed to the intercession of St. Anne at Beaupré was the cure of a crippled workman in 1658. This was soon followed by the deliverance of a group of sailors from a storm.
Miracles and healings continued to be attributed to the miraculous statue over the centuries to the present day. The ex-voto chapel in the basilica is stacked with crutches, canes and folded wheelchairs no longer needed, as well as paintings of deliverance and healing.
A second church of St. Anne was constructed of wood and stone between 1661 and 1676. It was located on the present site of the old cemetery. A third church was built of stone in 1676, and remained in use until it was replaced by a basilica in 1876. The old church was demolished in 1878, but the Memorial Chapel was constructed on the foundations of its transept.The first basilica was tragically destroyed by fire on March 29, 1922. It was replaced by the present basilica, which was completed in 1926. Cardinal Maurice Roy consecrated the basilica on July 4, 1976, and Pope John Paul II visited the shrine on September 10, 1984.
Late Day Sun Shines on the Glorious Neo-Gothic Architecture
Statue at the Front of the Basilica
The curved ceiling was beautifully adorned with paintings and religious symbols.
We arrived at the Basilica during Mass time. Patrons were lining up for Holy Communion.
Throughout the year, prayer and worship services at the Basilica take place almost continually. Each day sees an average of eight Masses plus a public Rosary,
The Auberge De La Basilique is right across from the church. It is a youth hostel that has 107 rooms and 46 beds in a dormitory.
Running Home from School
Houses in Rural Quebec
Cemetery in St. Anne-De-Beaupre
Night Time Hockey Game in St. Anne-De-Beaupre
Canadian Mosaic 