Martyrs’ Shrine

One of Canada's national shrines, Martyrs' Shrine sits atop a hill on Highway 12 in Midland, directly across from Sainte-Marie among the Hurons. Built in 1925, the Church of St. Joseph blends European Gothic stonework with an interior modelled after an overturned birchbark canoe, a striking architectural bridge between the Jesuit missionaries and the Wendat peoples they served. The Shrine honours the eight Canadian Martyrs, canonized in 1930, and houses first-class relics of Saints Jean de Brébeuf, Gabriel Lalemant, and Charles Garnier.

Beyond the church, visitors can explore 75 landscaped acres featuring walkways, monuments, cultural gardens representing over a dozen nations, a papal altar from Pope John Paul II's 1984 visit, and Brébeuf's Prayer Garden. Open from the first Saturday in May through Thanksgiving Monday, the Shrine welcomes over 100,000 pilgrims and visitors annually for guided and self-guided tours, educational programs, group pilgrimages, and daily Mass. A café and gift shop are on-site.