5 things you need to know about viewing the northern lights in Manitoba
Would it surprise you to learn that Manitoba is among the best places on Earth to experience one of the world's great natural wonders?
Would it surprise you to learn that Manitoba is among the best places on Earth to experience one of the world's great natural wonders?
Standing alongside The Grand Canyon, the Great Barrier Reef and Mount Everest is the humble Aurora Borealis. Well, maybe not so humble, when you consider the jaw-dropping show this wonder puts on nearly 300 days out of the year in Churchill, Manitoba. If you have witnessing this phenomenon on your list, here are 5 things you need to know about the northern lights in Churchill, Manitoba.
Churchill is one of the best places in the world to view the northern lights
Churchill, Manitoba is a remarkable place that is known around the world for its congregation of polar bears in the fall and its thousands of beluga whales in the summer. Savvy travellers and nature lovers also know that it is one of the top places in the world to see the northern lights. There are certain criteria that must be met in order to see the lights, and from February to March, Churchill frequently checks all the boxes. There must be an increase in solar storms on the sun, there must be clear skies, you must be located in the Auroral Oval and there must be a high KP index. Phew. The good news is, Churchill is situated beneath the Auroral Oval and therefore has a significantly higher chance of meeting these requirements as it only needs a KP index of 1 or higher. The TLDR version of this is that Churchill wins when it comes to beating the serendipitous odds of the Aurora Borealis.
As it happens, multi-course dinners go well with the Aurora Borealis
If seeing the northern lights wasn't once-in-a-lifetime enough for you, tack on one of the world's most unique dinner reservations and experience dining beneath the Aurora Borealis with Dan's Diner.
Offered exclusively by Frontiers North, this dining adventure begins aboard the massive Tundra Buggy® that will carry you across the frozen Churchill River to the warmth of Dan's Diner: an enclosed dining hall with panoramic windows and skylights that are optimal for viewing the lights as you dine. Surprise, surprise: gourmet food pairs excellent with Nature's most dazzling display.
You can also experience dogsledding, snowshoeing and more
While your nights on a trip like this are more than spoken for, the daytime is wide open to experience some of the cultural adventures that Churchill has to offer. Try dogsledding with renowned musher Dave Daley of Wapusk Adventures, or strap on a pair of snowshoes for a trek along the frozen shores of the Hudson Bay. The Itsanitaq Museum holds one of the finest and oldest collections of Inuit artifacts in the world, dating from Pre-Dorset (1700 B.C.) through Dorset, Thule and modern Inuit times. Plan to spend at least an hour marvelling at the tiny and intricate carvings displayed.
While driving through town, you may notice a number of colourful murals painted on the walls of businesses, apartment buildings and more. These are the Churchill Sea Walls, a collection of 18 murals painted by artists from around the world to raise awareness on how to protect the ocean. And while the polar bears are long gone and hunting on the ice (though, if you're doing a DIY trip, you will still need a bear guide just in case), you may very well see other types of wildlife such as snowy owls, ptarmigan and Arctic fox.