Residents in the southern regions of Canada have enjoyed sporadic displays of vibrant neon colors in the night sky due to heightened solar activity in recent years. However, the spectacle of the northern lights is expected to diminish as the sun enters a calmer phase in its 11-year cycle.
The prime locations to witness the mesmerizing auroras will continue to be in the Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut. These areas are where the auroral oval, a luminous halo encircling the magnetic poles, is most prominently visible, according to Ethen Sun, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Toronto’s David A. Dunlap astronomy and astrophysics department.
The frequency of auroral displays in southern Canada, encompassing regions like Ontario, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, will decrease as solar activity declines, Sun explained. The sun undergoes periods of intense solar maximum and low-activity solar minimum.
“We are currently approximately a year and a half past the maximum,” Sun noted. “The activity is now decreasing and is projected to reach its minimum around 2031. While the cycle is still relatively active, it is gradually declining.”
During the solar maximum phase, characterized by coronal mass ejections, flares, sunspot increases, and geomagnetic storms, the brilliant northern lights are more pronounced. Nonetheless, around the 60th parallel, auroras are visible almost nightly independent of solar activity levels.
The optimal time to observe the auroras is between September and April, with particularly vivid displays around the spring and autumn equinoxes, Sun added. Despite being within the auroral oval, some of the intensity witnessed in the past two years may diminish as solar activity quiets down, reducing the peak viewing opportunities.
Tourism reports from Yukon highlighted the region’s focus on leveraging the “solar max” phase between 2023 and 2025 to attract tourists, with the northern lights being a significant draw for visitors, especially from the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, and Australia. In 2025, Yukon’s tourism sector reportedly contributed $484 million to the economy.
Aaron Ratko, a board member with the Wilderness Tourism Association of Yukon, noted varying tourist visits throughout different seasons. Visitors may initially come during winter to witness the aurora at around -40°C, with return trips in the fall for milder weather and diverse day tours.
While Nunavut emphasizes Inuit culture, landscapes, and wildlife for tourism, aurora viewing experiences are also available. As the solar maximum phase fades and the three territories emerge as top aurora destinations, Nunavut may consider promoting itself as a premier northern lights location.
In the Northwest Territories, the northern lights are a common sight, with Yellowknife boasting up to 240 aurora-filled nights annually. The region’s tourism heavily relies on the auroras, attracting 41% of visitors for this natural spectacle.
Aurora Village, a tourism company in Yellowknife, highlighted the economic importance of the northern lights for the territories, benefiting various local businesses. The company actively monitors the solar cycle trends and educates visitors on taking advantage of the Northwest Territories’ prime aurora viewing conditions.
Despite the sun’s shifting cycle, the tourism industry remains resilient, with unexpected aurora displays exceeding visitor expectations, as noted by industry experts.
