1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Ste Anne de Beaupré

STE ANNE DE BEAUPRE, a post-village of Montmorency county, Quebec, Canada, at the junction of the Ste Anne river with the St Lawrence, and on the Quebec, Montmorency & Charlevoix railway, 22 m. below the city of Quebec. It stands in a rolling agricultural country, with hills in the background; and near by, on the Ste Anne river, are beautiful falls and excellent fishing. For over two centuries Ste Anne has been known as a Roman Catholic place of pilgrimage, and many miracles are still said to be performed through the intercession of the saint, the mother of the Virgin. In the basilica, an over ornate building, are ever-increasing piles of crutches and other aids, cast aside by the cured. The resident population is about 1500, chiefly composed of hotel-keepers and members of religious orders, but throughout the year many pilgrimages are made, and on such days as the feast day of Ste Anne (26th of July) 30,000 people are often present. The total number of pilgrims in 1905 was 170,000. In addition to the basilica the village contains numerous religious edifices, the chief being the Scala Santa, built in imitation of the Holy Stairs at Rome.