Chasing auroras in Yellowknife With solar activity expected to peak in 2024, there’s never been a better time to see the northern lights. Here’s how to do it in the “aurora capital of North America.”
Story and photography by Alexandra Pope
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| The aurora borealis dance above a rustic cabin near Yellowknife. Experts say 2024 will be a banner year for the space weather phenomenon thanks to a peak in solar activity. (Photo: Alexandra Pope/Can Geo) |
| "She’s here.”
I’ve just shrugged off my heavy parka inside a rustic cabin on the outskirts of Yellowknife when Tracy Therrien bursts through the door to announce the arrival of a highly-anticipated guest: the aurora borealis.
I scramble back into my gear, heart beating fast, and head out into the -23 C night. Arcing across the starry sky above the roof of the cabin is what looks like a broad jet of pale grey vapour. But my camera reveals a telltale green: Lady Aurora has indeed decided to make an appearance. Over the next hour, she flows and broadens, filling the sky with imperceptible colour. Then, suddenly, she starts to dance, ribbons of now-visible green coiling and snapping, flaring and fading. I keep a finger poised on my camera’s shutter, the cold and my fatigue utterly forgotten.
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| | Sky-piercing mountains stretch across the landscape, their peaks crusted with ice and snow. The air is cool and fresh. And best of all, there’s an almost zen-like quiet. This is a typical day on our six-day Halfway Lodge horseback adventure. Pass the shimmering waters of the Bow River, travel along a historic pack trail and then up Allenby Pass, where jagged rock formations line the route. |
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And although you do climb to an elevation of 2,468 metres on this trip, the terrain is gentle for the entire way. And for all the rugged scenery that surrounds you on this trek, the adventure itself is far from ‘roughing it.’ Unwind in rustic luxury at the spacious Sundance Lodge and later at the cozy Halfway Lodge – both are quintessential mountain cabins boasting comfortable beds, a crackling fire and some of the most delicious backcountry cuisine you’ll ever try. |
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| Jill Doucette is the founder and CEO of Synergy Enterprises, which advises businesses — including clients in the tourism industry — on how to measure their environmental impact and decarbonize. (Photo courtesy Synergy Enterprises) |
| Sustainability is a major focus of the tourism industry as it continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Most reputable tour operators and attractions tout their sustainability policies, although greenwashing – PR bluster with no measurable impact – is not uncommon, and there’s much work to do. On a recent trip to Florida, I was surprised to find no recycling options in the hotels, attractions and resorts I visited. Plastic, glass, paper, organics – it all just went into the same bin, and ultimately to the same landfill. Jill Doucette is the founder and CEO of the Victoria-based Synergy Enterprises and Synergy Foundation, a commercial and non-profit group respectively that give businesses and organizations advice on how to measure their environmental impact, implement solutions, decarbonize, and effectively communicate their results. Jill works directly with dozens of tourism clients in Canada, Europe and the Caribbean. Dynamic, deeply knowledgeable, ambitious and personable, she is a recognized thought-leader in the industry. |
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| | Martinique: Exploring the Caribbean’s “island of flowers” Renowned for its world-class beaches, ecotourism and historical sites, this tropical paradise exudes relaxation, making it the perfect destination to unwind and escape from everyday life Story and photography by Marina Jimenez
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| A view of Martinique's famous Pitons du Carbet captured from the water. |
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Les Trois-Îlets, Martinique
I rise early and tread lightly down a dirt path covered in purple bougainvillea petals and a few fallen coconuts, making my way to Anse Mitan Beach. The sound of frogs singing from the night is replaced by the cooing of doves, and my only company is a pelican, standing on a volcanic rock, fluffing his feathers and staring northward across the mangroves to the capital of Fort-de-France. I can see the Pitons du Carbet, five extinct volcanoes covered in rainforest, looming in the cloudless sky as soft white sand massages my toes.
Welcome to Martinique, where 70 per cent of the land is a protected national park with 3,000 kinds of tropical trees and rich biodiversity. Green is the island’s colour for its commitment to sustainable development, spicy is its flavour, and Creole is its soul.
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