No, you don’t have to go to Stonehenge to feel the vibrations of the earth and sky with your bare feet in the middle of a stone circle. It’s one of the Eastern Townships’ best-kept secrets, and tucked away at the very end of a residential neighborhood in the small town of Stanstead, the region has its own mystical stone circle.
The Stanstead Stone Circle
The Stanstead Stone Circle, unlike the millennia-old and highly mysterious Stonehenge, is a modern structure.
Kim Prangley, a resident of Stanstead, was behind the project. She decided to replicate the stone circles she had discovered during a trip to England and Wales. After attending a workshop on building stone circles, she decided to build one herself. It took a few years, but she inaugurated the “Stanstead Stone Circle” for the fall equinox of 2009.
The stones were carved from granite from a local quarry, and the circle is located on the 45th parallel—halfway between the Equator and the North Pole. The circle is intended as a place of balance and peace, and visitors can explore it for free, stroll among the stones, and stop to eat a sandwich.
The stones, the sun, the solstice
June 21 is the summer solstice. The summer solstice is an astronomical event caused by the tilt of the Earth’s axis relative to the planet’s orbit around the sun. From the equinox (March 20) to the winter solstice (June 21), the northern hemisphere—which includes Canada—is closer to the sun’s warm rays than at any other time of the year.
At the mysterious Stonehenge stone circle, the sun passes through the center of the stones to create a truly magical effect on the morning of the summer solstice. The solstice is celebrated by the Indigenous peoples of Canada, by the pagans of England, by nature-based religions, and by villages in Eastern Europe.
This year, we recommend visiting the Stanstead Stone Circle to soak up its positive vibes and the warm rays of the sun.
Practical Information
Where? The Stanstead Stone Circle, at Boulevard Notre-Dame Ouest, Stanstead, J0B 3E2 / between a 1 hour 40 minute and 2 hour drive from downtown Montreal
When? Open to everyone at all times
How? Free admission / for more information, we recommend following the Instagram account @stansteadstonecircle
