About the author

Siham Jamaa defines herself as a trendspotter. Following an MBA in International Tourism that pro-pelled her into the world of travel, she worked with the Réseau de Veille en Tourisme at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), studying the many groundbreaking innovations that are constantly rejuvenating this industry. Although her main focus these days is the entertainment industry, she has long been inter-

ested in religious and spiritual matters, writing and presenting on the subject. She is particularly interested in the concept of the religious and spiritual journey, an experience charged with mean-ing that can help those seeking self-improvement to reach their full potential. She is proud to help visitors understand the emblem-atic sites, symbols and figures of Québec through this type of journey.

Jardin des Ursulines 5

Mashteuiatsh 7

Centre Augustinien – Le Cristal 9

Monastère Notre-Dame de Mistassini 10

Cristal du Lac 11

Métabetchouan–Lac-à-la-Croix 12

Cathédrale Saint-François-Xavier de Chicoutimi 12

Centre Historique des Sœurs de Notre-Dame du Bon-Conseil 14

International Exhibition of Nativity Scenes in Rivière-Éternité 16

Parc National du Fjord-du-Saguenay 17

Sentier Notre-Dame Kapatakan 18

Tadoussac 18

Index 22

Contents

Saguenay– Lac-Saint-Jean: Spiritual HeightsThe Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region is well known for its beautiful stretches of water and its wide-open landscapes. Majestic Lac Saint-Jean, in the west, irrigates the region’s farmland and gives rise to the Saguenay River, which crosses the area from west to east before flowing into the St. Lawrence. Spiritual experiences and heart-felt encounters abound along this route, which travels through the spectacular Saguenay Fjord region, past green mountains, across agricultural plains and along the sandy shores of Lac Saint-Jean. Starting at the Ermitage Saint-Antoine de Lac-Bouchette, we’ll circle around Lac Saint-Jean, with several stops along the way—in a First Nations reserve and a visit to the Trappist Fathers in Mistassini. Next, we’ll explore the spiritual heritage of Chicoutimi, which today is a borough of the City of Saguenay, and we’ll make a foray into the very heart of the Parc National du Fjord-du-Saguenay to explore the religious sites there. Finally, our tour will bring us all the way to Tadoussac, to the storied Chapelle de Tadoussac, or Chapelle des Indiens, the oldest wooden church in North America.

S tart your exploration at the shrine at the Ermitage Saint-Antoine

de Lac-Bouchette. A specific tour is dedicated to this major pilgrimage centre (see p. 188).

DD Now head to the town of Roberval, on the shores of Lac Saint-Jean.

Duration: 2 to 3 days • Driving tour (524km)

5

Jardin des UrsulinesThe Jardin des Ursulines, a restful, enchanting space, is a great place to stop by the side of Lac Saint-Jean. Developed in memory of the former pres-ence of the Ursuline nuns in the region, this leisure area has a small museum where you can see various articles that once belonged to them. The Jardin

des Ursulines is also a gathering place for the community, where Roberval families come to pic-nic or enjoy the walking trails and bike paths overlooking the lake. A children’s playground and a gift shop with creations made by local and regional art-ists have been added to the site. Various activities are organized here during the day throughout the summer (pétanque, raffles, dances, movies, etc.). The

The Jesuit priest and

explorer Jean de Quen became the first European to visit Lac Saint-Jean in 1647.

The Saguenay Fjord.

© iStockphoto.com/Vladone

20 Guide to Spiritual and Religious Journeys in Québec

A video describing the life of missionaries in New France can be screened inside the church. Ask at the entrance to the

church for a viewing; the video runs for about 15 minutes.

The colours of the chapel (white facade, red roof ) are repeated

by the Hôtel Tadoussac, which dominates the bay. The hotel terrace offers an incredible view of Tadoussac and the St. Lawrence River, and it’s worth the detour to admire this spectacular panorama.

After this refreshing stop, why not enjoy the views of the St. Lawrence along the inter-pretive hiking trails, or a sea kayaking excursion? You can also visit the Poste de Traite Chauvin (trading post), a replica of the original built in 1600 by Pierre Chauvin de Tonnetuit for the fur trade.

Jardin des Ursulines712 Boulevard St-Joseph, Roberval, 418-637-5644 or 418-275-7610, http://jardindesursulines.ca

Opening hours: � 11am to 5pm

Aventure Plume Blanche607 Rang 2 Sud, Roberval, 418-275-6857, www.aventureplumeblanche.com

Église Kateri Tekakwitha 1761 Rue Amisk, Mashteuiatsh, 418-275-2938

Opening hours: � Church is open on request; inquire at the

tourist information kiosk at the entrance to the reserve.

Centre Augustinien - Le Cristal80 Rue des Hospitalières, Dolbeau-Mistassini, 418-276-1566, www.lecristal.ca

Opening hours: � Daily 9am to 5pm.

Monastère Notre-Dame de Mistassini100 Route des Trappistes, Dolbeau-Mistassini, 418-276-0491, http://monasteremistassini.org

Cristal du Lac795 Route des Laurentides, Métabetchouan–Lac-à-la-Croix, 418-213-0702, www.cristaldulac.com

Opening hours: � Jun 20 to Aug 30 daily 9:30am to 5pm.

Fees: � Excursion without crystal collecting $21.09;

excursion with crystal collecting (100 grams) adults $29.34, children (8-14 yrs) $20.44.

Cathédrale Saint-François-Xavier de Chicoutimi514 Rue Racine Est, Arrondissement de Chicoutimi, Saguenay, 418-549-3212

Opening hours: � Mid-Jun to end Aug daily noon to 6pm; rest

of the year, cathedral open for worship or by reservation.

 Practical Information

21Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean: Spiritual Heights

Centre Historique des Sœurs de Notre-Dame du Bon-Conseil

700 Rue Racine Est, Arrondissement de Chicoutimi, Saguenay, 418-543-4861, ext. 221, www.centrehistoriquesndbc.com

Opening hours: � Jul and Aug Tue-Sat 10am to 4pm, Sep to

Jun Mon-Fri (by reservation) 8am to 3pm.

Fees: � Adults $5, students $2, children (under 5)

free.

Église Notre-Dame- de-l’Éternité (exhibition of nativity scenes)

412 Rue Principale, Rivière-Éternité, 418-272-2586, www.villagedecreches.com

Opening hours: � End Jun to beg Sep 9:30am to 5pm, mid-Dec

to beg Jan 10am to 5pm.

Fees: � $5

Parc National du Fjord- du-Saguenay

91 Rue Notre-Dame, Rivière-Éternité, 418-272-1556, www.sepaq.com/pq/sag/

Opening hours: � Statue of Notre-Dame du Saguenay

accessible on foot during park opening hours, mid-May to mid-Oct.

Fees: � Adults $8.50, children 17 and under free.

Sentier Notre-Dame Kapatakan

418-348-6344, www.sentiernotredamekapatakan.org

Chapelle de Tadoussac (Chapelle des Indiens)

108 rue du Bord-de–l’Eau, Tadoussac, 418-235-4324

The interior of the Chapelle de Tadoussac.

© Siham Jamaa

The Chapelle de Tadoussac. © iStockphoto.com/Rixipix

C

Cathédrale Saint-François-Xavier (Chicoutimi) 12

Centre Augustinien – Le Cristal (Dolbeau-Mistassini) 9

Centre Historique des Sœurs de Notre-Dame du Bon-Conseil (Chicoutimi) 14

Cristal du Lac (Métabetchouan– Lac-à-la-Croix) 11

I

International exhibition of nativity scenes (Rivière-Éternité) 16

J

Jardin des Ursulines (Roberval) 5

M

Mashteuiatsh 7Aventure Plume Blanche 7Église Kateri Tekakwitha 7

Métabetchouan–Lac-à-la-Croix 12

Monastère Notre-Dame de Mistassini

(Dolbeau-Mistassini) 10

P

Parc National du Fjord-du-Saguenay 17

S

Sentier Notre-Dame Kapatakan 18

T

Tadoussac 18

Chapelle de Tadoussac 19

Poste de Traite Chauvin (trading post) 20

Index

Spiritual and Religious Journey to Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean ISBN 978-2-76583-246-1 (PDF version), is a chapter taken from Ulysses guide Guide to Spi-ritual and Religious Journeys in Québec, ISBN 978-2-89464-947-3 (printed version), published and legally deposited in April 2016.

Crédits

Research and Writing: Siham JamaaTranslation: Elke Love, Matthew McLauchlin, Christine Poulin, Tanya Solari, John SweetEditors: Pierre Ledoux and Claude MorneauCopy Editing: Elke Love, Matthew McLauchlinEditing Assistant: Ambroise GabrielGraphic Design and Layout: Pascal Biet

This work was produced under the direction of Olivier Gougeon and Claude Morneau.

Acknowledgments

This book was created with the support of many people who believed in my passion and who supported me throughout the project. I would especially like to thank Pierre, Rizlaine and Richard.I also wish to thank the wonderful religious communities who generously opened their doors to me and shared their spiritual, historical and artistic treasures.Many thanks also to the members of the tourism and cultural industry for their dedication towards their institutions and regions. Their enthusiasm is an inspiration.Finally, I would like to thank my publisher, Ulysses Travel Guides, for the confidence, the vision and the creativity of its leaders.

Siham JamaaThis project was made possible in part by the support of Québec’s National Shrines (Canada), Canada Economic Development, and Tourisme Québec, as well as the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications and the Ville de Montréal under the ‘‘Entente sur le développement culturel de Montréal’’ agreement.

Ulysses Travel Guides acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada.Ulysses Travel Guides would also like to thank the Government of Québec – Tax credit for book publishing – Administered by SODEC.

In order to facilitate your viewing, this e-book does not contain a blocking device. It is however identified by a digital watermark that ensures its traceability in case of piracy.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including photocopying, without the written permission of the publisher.

© Guides de voyage Ulysse inc.Tous droits réservésISBN 978-2-76583-246-1 (PDF version)