Northern Lights

Glimpse the first ghostly green ripple out of the corner of your eye. Race to the window or run outside to see dancing streamers streak the sky pink, red, yellow and blue. As they gather momentum, Northern Lights shimmer and loop across the horizon like surreal curtains of colour blowing in an extraterrestrial wind. Watch and you’ll understand how some believe the lights become so intense they sing or crackle. It’s Mother Nature’s light show so grab a front row seat. Northern Lights appear year-round in Canada, but they are best viewed in autumn and winter when nights are long and dark. They routinely light up northern latitudes, but sometimes show their colours as far south as the US border, the result of particles streaming into the atmosphere at speeds of up to 37,000 mile/second. While the Northern Lights are so bright they can light the way for dog mushers, cross-country skiers and snowmobilers, they are equally enjoyable from the warm confines of a log cabin, luxury lodge, tent or outdoor hot tub. Pair the aurora borealis with a locally sourced, gourmet meal of caribou, or maybe Arctic char or pickerel plucked from an icy lake. Then slide under a duvet or into a sleeping bag and dream of technicolour cosmic fairies.