Sacred Sites of Canada

Canada: Land of Diverse Traditions

Canada is home to a rich and varied spiritual landscape, reflected in its many pilgrimage sites. Let's explore some of these places:

Great Sandhills, south Saskatchewan

The Great Sandhills (pictured above) are an area of sand dunes located in southwestern Saskatchewan. They are a sacred site for the Cree and Assiniboine peoples.

Chief Mountain, near Ft. Macleod

Chief Mountain is a sacred mountain for the Blackfoot people. It is located in southwestern Alberta, near Fort Macleod, and is associated with Napi, a creator figure in Blackfoot mythology.

Moose Mountain Medicine Wheel, Saskatchewan

The Moose Mountain Medicine Wheel is an ancient stone structure located in southeastern Saskatchewan. It is a sacred site for many Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains.

Montreal; St. Joseph's Oratory

St. Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal is a Roman Catholic basilica and national shrine located on the west slope of Mount Royal in Montreal, Quebec. It is Canada's largest church and has one of the largest domes in the world. It is dedicated to Saint Joseph and is a popular pilgrimage destination for Catholics.

Mt. St. Elias

Mt. St. Elias is a mountain on the border between Alaska and the Yukon Territory of Canada. It is the second-highest mountain in both the United States and Canada. This mountain holds significance to the Tlingit people.

Soldier Mountain (sacred to Ajumawi Indians), Fall River Valley

Soldier Mountain is a sacred site for the Ajumawi (or Achumawi) people, a band of the Pit River Tribe. It is located in the Fall River Valley of California and is an important location in their traditional stories.

Writing-on-Stone petroglyph site, southeast of Lethbridge, Alberta

Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park is home to the largest concentration of rock art (petroglyphs and pictographs) on the North American Great Plains. The area is sacred to the Blackfoot people and other Indigenous tribes, who have used it as a site of ceremony and vision quests for centuries.

Lac Sainte Anne, west of Edmonton, Alberta

Lac Sainte Anne is a lake located west of Edmonton, Alberta. It is a popular pilgrimage destination for Catholics, Metis, and Indigenous peoples. The lake is named after Saint Anne, and there is an annual pilgrimage to the lake in July.

Medicine Lake, near Hidden Lake, southwest Alberta

Medicine Lake is a lake in Jasper National Park, Alberta. The lake is believed by local Indigenous peoples to have healing powers.

Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Quebec

The Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is a Catholic basilica located east of Quebec City. It is dedicated to Saint Anne, the grandmother of Jesus, and is a popular pilgrimage destination for Catholics, attracting over a million visitors each year.

Majorville Medicine Wheel, south Alberta

The Majorville Medicine Wheel is an ancient stone structure located in southern Alberta. It is a sacred site for many Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains.

Valley of the Ten Peaks, Canadian Rockies near Calgary, Alberta

The Valley of the Ten Peaks is a valley in Banff National Park, Alberta. The valley is known for its ten towering peaks, which offer scenic views and hiking opportunities. The area holds significance for Indigenous groups in the region.

Keremeos Mound, southeast British Columbia

Keremeos Mound is an archaeological site located in southeastern British Columbia. The site contains the remains of an ancient Indigenous village, and it's believed to have been a gathering place for spiritual ceremonies.

Cormorant Island, Alert Bay, eastern shores of North Vancouver Isyland

Cormorant Island is a small island located in Alert Bay, eastern shores of North Vancouver Island. It is a sacred site for the Kwakwaka'wakw people and is home to one of the world's largest potlatches (ceremonial feasts).

William's Lake (Columneetza), Central British Columbia

William's Lake is a sacred site for the Secwepemc (Shuswap) people of British Columbia.

Petroglyph Park, west central coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia

Petroglyph Park is located on the west coast of Vancouver Island and preserves ancient carvings in stone, with likely both practical and spiritual use for Indigenous peoples.

Martyrs' Shrine and healing spring, Ontario

The Martyrs' Shrine is a Catholic shrine located in Midland, Ontario. It commemorates the lives of eight Jesuit missionaries who were martyred in the 17th century. The shrine also features a natural spring believed to have healing properties.

Peterborough Petroglyphs, southern Ontario

The Peterborough Petroglyphs are a collection of over 900 Indigenous rock carvings located in southern Ontario. They are one of the largest concentrations of rock art in Canada and are a sacred site for the Anishinaabe people.

Dreamer's Rock vision quest site, Manitoulin Island, Ontario

Dreamer's Rock is a sacred site for the Anishinaabe people located on Manitoulin Island, Ontario. It was traditionally used as a site for vision quests.

Vision quest stone ring, Bannock Point, Whiteshell Provincial Park, Manitoba

A stone circle formation in Whiteshell Provincial Park, Manitoba, used traditionally by Indigenous peoples for vision quests and other ceremonial purposes.

Shrine of the burial of Kateri Tekakwitha, Church of St. Francis-Xavier, Quebec

The Shrine of Kateri Tekakwitha is located in the Church of St. Francis-Xavier in Kahnawake, Quebec. Kateri Tekakwitha was a Mohawk woman who converted to Catholicism in the 17th century, and she is the first North American Indigenous person to be canonized.

Tipperary Creek medicine wheel, central Saskatchewan

A medicine wheel site located in central Saskatchewan, likely used for Indigenous spiritual and ceremonial purposes.

Roy Rivers medicine wheel, southwest Saskatchewan

A medicine wheel site located in southwest Saskatchewan, likely used for Indigenous spiritual and ceremonial purposes.

Turtle medicine wheel, southeast Saskatchewan

A medicine wheel site located in southeast Saskatchewan, likely used for Indigenous spiritual and ceremonial purposes.

Twin peaked Klin-se-za (twin sisters) in Kootenay National Park

The Klin-se-za peaks are mountains in Kootenay National Park, British Columbia, and their name means "Twin Sisters" in the Ktunaxa language. The mountains and the area around them are likely sacred to the Ktunaxa people.

Oiseau Rock, Pontiac County, Quebec

Oiseau Rock is a large rocky outcrop located in Pontiac County, Quebec. It's a sacred site for the Algonquin people.