Best Place of Worship

Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA)

In our “place of worship” category we have consistently received votes for places other than churches, synagogues or mosques. It’s not uncommon to see “the shores of Lake Superior” as a place of worship. Many who live in the Northland are here because they love the outdoors and choose to surround themselves in nature. This year the Boundary Waters won “best place of worship.” Several of you mentioned canoeing in that area. With the debate of sulfide mining being a hot issue lately, it is not surprising to see how passionate people are about protecting the Boundary Waters. We talked with Ian Kimmer from Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, whose mission is “ To protect, preserve and restore the wilderness character of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the Quetico-Superior Ecosystem”. The Reader asked him why people would choose the Boundary Waters as the best place of worship. He has traveled to BWCA over a hundred times and said “It’s a sacred space in this world that is incredibly rare versus all of the cities, traffic and lights. The experience is impossible to quantify in value because it is a spiritual experience. No one goes in and then comes back out unchanged. It draws 250,000 people a year because of the power it has. “ People from all walks of life and from all over the world recognize the irreplaceable value and natural beauty of the Boundary Waters.

2nd Place: The Vineyard Church