Big City Tales

Light Up the Night in Yellowknife

The Canadian North is blessed with an abundance of sunshine in the summer and natural light shows in the winter. The latter, known as Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, is a spectacular natural phenomenon that is best viewed from January to March,  and one of the prime locations to witness the ‘light up the night’ effect is in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.

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Yellowknife actually has the distinction of being the ‘Aurora Capital’ of North America and there are plenty of places to soak up the grandeur of the night skies that include  luxury lodges, traditional teepees and cozy cabins.

While even a mere peek out of a downtown hotel room window will provide a decent show, going outside and getting away from civilization really is a far better option to properly commune with Mother Nature and truly appreciate her gift.

For those wanting to take things up a notch and experience another unique aspect of life in the far north, local dog-sledding companies offer moonlit mushing excursions. Just imagine being briskly pulled across the vast frozen tundra by a team of huskies while the night lights dazzle and delight high in the sky above — excitement and entertainment will surely abound.

Before bidding farewell to fair Yellowknife, take the time to explore the terrain during daylight hours and admire what else this northern capital city has to offer.

• The Old Town district is where miners and prospectors first set up shop in the 1930s eager to stake a claim to lucrative gold deposits. These early pioneers gathered at the Wildcat Cafe, a rustic log cabin structure that still stands and now serves up gourmet grub.
• The Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre features permanent displays and temporary exhibits about the culture and history of the Northwest Territories, including European exploration, Northern aviation, diamond mining, and history of the Dene and Inuit Indigenous Peoples.
• The Yellowknife Cultural Crossroads is an ever-evolving monumental piece of public art created by a group of Métis, Dene, Inuvialuit, French-Canadian and English-Canadian artists. The main aspects of the exhibit are a bronze sculpture, a steel teepee and a mural painted and carved on exposed rock that consists of 1,500 signs and symbols representing northern life.