Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré

Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is a village of 2,850 people (2011) east of Quebec city in the Côte-de-Beaupré County Regional Municipality in the Quebec Region. The village lies along the St Lawrence and faces the Île d'Orléans.

Geography
The majority of the municipal territory is mountainous and forested. The St. Lawrence plain stretches up to from the river on the boundary with Château-Richer and  from the river on the boundary with Beaupré.

The terrestrial part of the territory of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is made up of two contiguous rectangles, the second being smaller. To the southeast, the municipal boundary stretches for on the shore of the Île d'Orléans channel; to the southwest, the limit shared with Château-Richer is, including a hook to the east of ; to the north, the municipality shares a boundary of  with the unorganized territory of Lac-Jacques-Cartier; to the northeast,  with Mont Saint-Anne Park; to the east,  with the municipality of Beaupré.

Along the Île d'Orléans channel, the sandstone stretches between 327 m. at low tide (at the limit of Beaupré) at 583 m. on the edge of Château-Richer. At this last point, the river has a width of at high tide and up to  at low tide. Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré stands in a rolling agricultural country, with the foothills of the Laurentian Mountains in the background. The first church was built by sailors, seeking protection against shipwrecks off Ile-Oeuf on their way upriver to Quebec City. Saint Anne is the patron saint of sailors.

History
From the beginning of New France, after the founding of Quebec in 1608, the Côte-de-Beaupré was colonized between the Montmorency River and Cap Tourmente. The first land was granted in 1650 on the current territory of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. With the arrival of new settlers, agriculture and forestry then became the fundamental drivers of the local economy. Nevertheless, the inhabitants devote themselves in particular to hunting, fishing, crafts, river transport and the fur trade. By establishing themselves on the banks of the river, at the foot of the moraine, the dwellings benefited from an attenuated effect of the north wind.

The main religious gathering occurs on July 26, annually commemorating the feast of Saint Anne. This basilica is the third church of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré; the second church was destroyed by fire on March 29, 1922. Its construction began in 1923; the structural work will be completed in 1962 by the completion of the arrows surmounting the belfries. The basilica was made official in 1976 by Cardinal Maurice Roy. Nevertheless, the building remains unfinished, because of the many empty niches and unsculpted cornices.
 * History of the basilica

Throughout history, several pilgrims claim to be miraculous, believing that their healing is dependent on the intercession of Saint Anne, following their prayer at the basilica. The accumulation of this type of testimony amplifies the effervescence of the pilgrimages.

The municipality of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré was erected civilly on March 3, 1722 by an edict of the King. From its beginning, a popular Catholic mobilization based on devotion to Saint Anne, patroness of all of Quebec, led to pilgrimages and the erection of a basilica. The site of the basilica has several advantages that quickly make it a sought-after place of pilgrimage:
 * Pilgrimages
 * the beauty of the site at the foot of the moraine and facing Île d'Orléans;
 * the nearby attractions that contribute to the influx of pilgrims: Montmorency Falls, Mont Saint-Anne, the canyon of the Sainte-Anne River, the capes of Sault-au-Cochon;
 * its easy access by river road (the first motorized buses date from the early 1920s), by river (steamboats), then by rail (trains driven by steam locomotives arrived in 1881).

Steamboats (very popular until the end of the 19th century) were supplanted by the arrival of the train (including the small electric train from Sainte-Anne), then by motorized buses. Finally, motor vehicles and the improvement of road infrastructures contributed to the growth of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré.
 * Economic development

The influx of pilgrims generated significant economic growth in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. The village is transformed to accommodate pilgrims, in terms of accommodation, catering, supply of souvenir items, recreational tourism activities... The supply of hotel services (including services offered by religious communities) is organized during the first half of the 20th century to support this affluence. This basilica has been run since 1895 by the Redemptorist Fathers.

In 1855, after the end of the seigneurial system in Quebec, several new municipalities were definitively created in Quebec, or some were restructured. The territory of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is divided into two: the parish municipality and the village municipality. Finally, the merger of these two municipalities came into effect on January 16, 1973, thus creating the city of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré.

Get in
Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is usually visited as a day trip from Québec City; by road, follow Autoroute 440 then Route 138 downriver on the north shore. There are various tour buses which visit from the city.

By car

 * From Quebec (33 km, time: 0 hr 25 min), take Route 138 (Eastbound), to the village of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré.
 * From Tadoussac (183 km, time: 2 hr 35 min), take the Tadoussac-Baie Sainte-Catherine ferry; take route 138 (westbound), to the village of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré.

By train

 * Route:
 * Operates a daily train between Quebec City and La Malbaie with stops in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, Baie-Saint-Paul, Les Éboulements, and Saint-Irénée. The trains departs in the morning from Quebec City and in the afternoon from La Malbaie. This tourist train runs 125 km with views of the Saint Lawrence River and mountains.
 * Operates a daily train between Quebec City and La Malbaie with stops in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, Baie-Saint-Paul, Les Éboulements, and Saint-Irénée. The trains departs in the morning from Quebec City and in the afternoon from La Malbaie. This tourist train runs 125 km with views of the Saint Lawrence River and mountains.

By bus

 * Operates a daily route between Baie-Comeau and Montreal including stops in Forestville, Tadoussac, Baie-Sainte-Catherine, Saint-Siméon, La Malbaie, Clermont, Saint-Hilarion, Baie-Saint-Paul, Saint-Tite-des-Caps, Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Boischatel, and Quebec City. Travel time to Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré from Quebec City is 30 minutes. Trips toward Baie-Comeau start from Quebec City and do not include a stop in Montreal.

See