Magic near you: Where to catch the northern lights in Canada

Magic near you: Where to catch the northern lights in Canada - Whether you’re of the belief that the aurora borealis is the sky lifting up her skirt, or that the show is caused by solar particles colliding with Earth’s magnetic field, everyone has the northern lights on their "Things to See Before I Die" list. There are viewing spots in every province and territory of Canada, so click through this gallery to find the best one for you.

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Yellowknife - Yellowknife is actually the best place in both Canada and the world to see the northern lights, with its clear nights, flat landscape, and location directly under the auroral oval securing a 90% chance of witnessing the magic.

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Yellowknife - Great Slave Lake, where the lights reflect off the water in a truly fantastic display, is a popular viewing spot. Also consider the Aurora Village, where you can also enjoy the show from a hot tub.

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Muncho Lake Provincial Park - This escape from Vancouver's light pollution takes the form of an isolated park close to the Yukon border.

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Whitehorse - Yukon's capital is one of the most accessible places to see the northern lights in Canada, as the city is along the auroral zone and provides many different opportunities and locations to enjoy the natural phenomenon.

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Whitehorse - You can catch the lights on one of many tours available, or watch in comfort at a resort, lodge, cabin, or cottage. Lake Laberge, just on the outskirts of Whitehorse, is another popular viewing area.

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Torngat Mountains National Park - This huge park has all the fixings of a prime viewing spot: large, remote, and located at Labrador’s most northern point. Unfortunately, it's only accessible via boat or charter plane, but the 9,700 square km park, home to a long Inuit history, provides a private and special experience.

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Churchill - While everyone knows Churchill is the place to see polar bears, it's also one of the world's top places to catch the northern lights. As it's located under the auroral zone, time is quickly running out to see the lights dance overhead in the sky!

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Battle Harbour - This National Historic Site is filled with beautiful old buildings and surrounded by fjords and icebergs, so the addition of the aurora borealis just puts everything over the top.

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Torrance Barrens Night Sky Preserve - For all those in Toronto who aren't satisfied with the aurora-effect that emanates from the city's incredible amount of light pollution, the Torrance Barrens Night Sky Preserve provides the darkest sky for city-folk to take a peek at the northern lights.

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La Ronge - Located in northern Saskatchewan's prairies, La Ronge is under one of North America's darkest slices of sky, which is why many aurora tours leave from this small town.

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Northern Saskatchewan - There are 11 provincial parks north of Saskatoon open year-round for your northern lights-viewing pleasure, but the town of Melfort is the most popular. It is often referred to as the 'city of the northern lights'.

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Northern Saskatchewan - There's a reason why Saskatchewan's license plates read "Land of Living Skies."

(Photo: Flickr)

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Dawson City - Situated close to Alaska's border, this gold rush town is known for its colourful history and architecture, and is a popular spot for northern lights tours.

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Manitoulin Island - Watching the northern lights reflect off Lake Huron from this idyllic island is an experience Ontarians can take advantage of.

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Northern Labrador - The region provides more than enough entertainment, from snowmobiling, to fishing, to just enjoying the rare untouched nature, but after a long day of adventure, the northern lights will cap off the night.

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Jasper National Park - This park in Alberta boasts 11,000 square km and is consequently one of the world's largest accessible dark sky preserves, which means there's a longer window to watch the northern lights.

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Nunavik - The Nunavik Park, located in Quebec's Arctic region, is isolated, sparsely populated, and situated under the auroral oval, making it a fantastic site to witness the phenomenon.

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Nunavik - Kuujjuaq is the largest village in Nunavik and another popular spot to check out the northern lights, but other options include taking in the sights from a boat on the Hudson Bay, or from outside your own igloo.

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Iqaluit - Although this city is the capital of Nunavut, there is very little light pollution, and since there's only an average of four hours of light per day, Iqaluit makes for a rich aurora borealis experience. Just bring a very, very warm coat.

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Dempster Highway - The northernmost highway in Canada might be one of the slowest if you factor in all the time you'll spend pulling over in complete awe of the winding green lights in the sky.

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North shore of Lake Superior - The largest of the five Great Lakes carves out a significant dark slice of sky, allowing spectacular view of the northern lights.

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Dawson Creek - Located far from the big city but not too close to the cloudy coastal weather, Dawson Creek is right in the sweet spot for admiring the ethereal lights in the sky.

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Fort McMurray - Because this township is located on the southern edge of the auroral oval, the best time to view the lights in Fort McMurray is at midnight.

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Athabasca Country - Another northern Albertan northern lights hot-spot for aurora seekers and scientists alike, Athabasca is home to a geophysical observatory—one of 18 in North America—and while the public can't use it, the spot is scientifically guaranteed to have some fabulous views.

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Banff National Park - The low light pollution in this park and village means that the aurora borealis is visible from almost everywhere. The best spots are Lake Minnewanka, Castle Junction, and Peyto Lake—all of which are devastatingly gorgeous in the daytime as well.

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Edmonton - The final Albertan aurora-viewing hot-spot is the capital city, where the lights once famously made an appearance over the city's skyscrapers.

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Happy Valley-Goose Bay - If you're on the eastern coast of Canada, this town, located on the Trans-Labrador Highway, boasts the "OMG Hill" at the Birch Brook Nordic Ski Club which offers optimal aurora-viewing pleasure.

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Prince Edward Island National Park - Small and mighty, Prince Edward Island has a population of less than 150,000 and features incredible, gigantic displays of the shimmering lights over the Atlantic Ocean.

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Kejimkujik National Park -

While it's no Yellowknife or Whitehorse, this Nova Scotian park is a dark sky preserve, which is crucial to enjoying the sky's light show at night.

Magic near you: Where to catch the northern lights in Canada

The celestial spectacle is most intensely visible during the late autumn and winter months

20/10/20 | StarsInsider

TRAVEL Northern lights

Whether you’re of the belief that the aurora borealis is the sky lifting up her skirt, or that the show is caused by solar particles colliding with Earth’s magnetic field, everyone has the northern lights on their "Things to See Before I Die" list. There are viewing spots in every province and territory of Canada, so click through this gallery to find the best one for you.