Issue link: http://read.canadatravelguides.ca/i/1520274
In the Northwest Territories, the phrase "the lights are out" means the aurora borealis is lighting up the sky. On a clear night between October and March, when the sky is dark enough, perhaps the aurora will come out to play. But remember, the lights are unpredictable natural phenomenon that come out on their own schedule. That is why no appointment is necessary. The N.W.T. lies between the Yukon and Nunavut but the southern part of the territory is accessed by road from British Columbia and Alberta. Drive the Dempster Highway through the Yukon to Inuvik and the Arctic Ocean in Tuktoyaktuk. The landscape features boreal forest in the south, tundra north of the Arctic Circle, and the Mackenzie and Richardson mountains to the west. The Mackenzie River, North America's second-longest river, starts its journey at Fort Providence before flowing more than 1,738 km (1,080 mi.) into the Arctic Ocean. Great Slave Lake is the continent's deepest lake and Great Bear Lake is the territory's largest lake. The N.W.T. has 33 communities divided into five regions: Inuvik region, Sahtu, North Slave, South Slave and Dehcho. Indigenous Peoples comprise half the population—Dene, Métis or Inuvialuit. Although there are 11 official languages, most people speak English. AURORA HUNTING The Northwest Territories sits directly beneath the auroral oval. On a clear night, check the aurora forecast on Yellowknife's BY HÉLÈNA KATZ NORTHWEST TERRITORIES No Appointment Necessary The northern lights appear as a faint band at first. Then they grow in intensity, as if gaining momentum. The green gets brighter and shimmies as another line starts moving across the sky. Soon, the two banks merge and separate repeatedly as reds and greens blend and change. 44,741 Yellowknife www.spectacularnwt.com Flights year-round to Yellowknife Airport depart from Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa and Toronto Yellowknife Airport is 5 km (3 mi.) from downtown NT 88 YELLOWKNIFE • TI1993/SHUTTERSTOCK