The Background Story

The Camino de Santiago, known in English as the Way of St. James, is a network of pilgrims’ ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition holds that the remains of the apostle are buried. Each year the Way of St. James is walked by thousands of pilgrims from all corners of the world.

In recognition of the completion of their walk the Pilgrims’ Office in Santiago issues a Compostela, a certificate of completion of the pilgrimage. To earn a Compostela, a pilgrim must show that he or she has walked at least 100 km to get to the shrine as corroborated by their pilgrim’s passport or credencial, which shows the towns and albergues (hostels) at which the pilgrim has stayed. An official St. James stamp is imprinted on the passport at each location.

The length of the pilgrims’ ways ranges from as little as 75 km to over 1,000 km. The short 75 km walk refers to the Camino Inglés (the English Way). Historically this way (or camino) was traveled by pilgrims from the British Isles who arrived by boat at a location called A Coruña on the Atlantic coast of Spain in the province of Galicia.

The Issue

Modern day pilgrims who follow in the steps of the earlier pilgrims on the Camino Inglés are not able to avail themselves of the Compostela at the end of their pilgrimage as they will not have completed the required 100 km minimum distance as explained above.

The Crow Wing Trail Camino 

In December 2016 the Cathedral of Santiago, Spain ruled that pilgrims who walked  25 km in their country of origin just prior to walking the 75 km from A Coruña to Santiago would be eligible for the Compostela. 

The Crow Wing Trail Camino provides Canadian pilgrims who walk the Camino Inglés with that opportunity. In view of the 2016 ruling the Crow Wing Trail dedicated a 25 km section of its 200 km total length as a pilgrimage route. This section, named Crow Wing Trail Camino, extends from St-Pierre-Jolys to St. Malo. In keeping with the historical underpinning of the Camino de Santiago as a spiritual pilgrimage, care has been taken to ensure that the Crow Wing Trail Camino include the requisite stamping of the passport by at least one of the parish churches of St-Pierre-Jolys and St. Malo and the inclusion of the St. Malo Grotto, an important pilgrimage site in Manitoba, as a starting or destination point.  

These churches (office hours below) and businesses (identified below) are aware of your hike and will stamp your Canadian credential (passport).

In preparation for your Crow Wing Trail – Camino Inglés Camino  

It is very important that the Crow Wing Trail be undertaken shortly before the Camino Inglés in Spain. To validate the walk, you will need the official Credencial (passport) issued by the Canadian Company of Pilgrims (CCoP) for stamping. To order a Credencial you must first become a member of the Canadian Company of Pilgrims (currently $10 for an annual membership). Applications can be made online at the CCoP website: www.santiago.ca/member-sign-up/#join

Once your membership has been confirmed you will be able to log into your account and place your order to purchase the Credencial (currently $5 each). You should allow a minimum of 3 to 4 weeks for delivery. 

Steps to be taken prior to leaving Canada:

1)  Obtain a Credencial issued by the Canadian Company of Pilgrims as outlined above.

2)  Walk the Crow Wing Trail Camino shortly before leaving, ensuring that your Credencial receives a minimum of two stamps (dated and initialed) along the way with at least one stamp received at the church parish office in either St-Pierre-Jolys or St. Malo. It is advisable to alert the church office (s) of the approximate time of your arrival.

From A Coruña to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, the normal rules apply if you want to obtain a Compostela. Pilgrims must obtain two sellos or stamps per day.

Description of the Crow Wing Trail Camino

The online map of the Trans Canada Trail https://tctrail.ca/explore-the-map/ can also be used with an app https://tctrail.ca/stories/how-to-walk-across-canada-the-great-trail-app-has-arrived/ 

You can choose to journey the Crow Wing Trail Camino starting from St-Pierre-Jolys or St. Malo access points. Parking is free at the St Pierre Museum and at the St Malo Grotto ( wooden archway at Beach Rd and Hwy 59). Access points are identified by a Crow Wing Trail Camino Sign & interpretive sign.

From the North End: Turn south onto Rue Joubert St. following blue signs with Crow Wing Trail logo and yellow Crow Wing Trail Camino signs. You will cross Hwy 59 to go through the Parc Carillon Park and over a new pedestrian bridge east of town. South of PR 205, the trail follows a dirt road (muddy after rain) between fields and turns east into a bushy area. (Detour directs you to continue south.) There are strategically placed benches along the route and a picnic shelter with outdoor washroom at the halfway point just north of Woolwich Rd.

From the South End: Turn east onto Beach Road over the pedestrian bridge and into the St. Malo Provincial Park. You will exit Park onto a gravel road (East Lakeshore Drive) and cross PR 403 to continue north along field past interpretive signs. Trail goes west until it turns north along a field to Woolwich Rd where you will be directed east to the midway point with shelter. (Detour directs you north.)

St. Malo: Tuesday to Thursday 9 am to 4 pm; closed noon to 1 pm      Phone #: 204-347-5518 

St-Pierre-Jolys: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 8:30 am to 3 pm; closed noon to 1 pm     Phone #: 204-433-7438

Listed below you will find community services & amenities that can help you with your Crow Wing Trail Camino journey. Shop, eat and enjoy the local flavours along the way!

Official Passport Stamping Locations:

North End – St-Pierre-Jolys:

South End – St. Malo:

Community Amenities

Accommodations

Restaurants

North End – St Pierre Jolys:

South End – St Malo:

Gas Bar & Goods

North End – St Pierre Jolys:

South End – St Malo:

Here you have a short list of links that can be useful during you pilgrimage.

• An app with a digital map of the Great Trail which includes the Crow Wing Trail and this section
• The pilgrimage office in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
• The place where you can get your credential in Canada (look for Winnipeg Chapter if you are in Manitoba)
• Information about what to do in St Pierre Jolys
• List of amenities and activities in St Malo provincial park
• The Archidiocese of St Boniface, which St-Pierre-Jolys and St. Malo parishes are part of.