Must Do Canada
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Things to Do in Canada 221

Things to Do in Canada 221

Dark Sky

April 23, 2025

Good morning!

Did you know? Parks Canada protects more dark skies than any other agency or jurisdiction worldwide.

Speaking of dark skies, it’s International Dark Sky Week from April 21-28. Organized by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), this worldwide celebration of the night raises awareness about light pollution and promotes the importance of preserving dark night skies.

Learn more about this special week, what a dark sky preserve is, and the best places to experience them in Canada in the 221st edition of the Weekly Goose!

Enjoy!

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International Dark Sky Week is a Worldwide Celebration of the Night.

What’s a dark sky, you ask? A "dark sky" refers to a nighttime sky that is free from significant light pollution, allowing for a clear view of the stars and other celestial objects. It's a term often used in the context of preserving the natural beauty of the night sky and protecting wildlife from the negative impacts of artificial light.

You see, a “dark sky” might just seem like a nice thing to see, but it’s much more important than that. From the darkness needed for a good night’s sleep to the activities we enjoy under the stars, the night plays a vital role in safeguarding healthy ecosystems and wildlife biodiversity, enhancing science and exploration, preserving cultural knowledge, and so much more. With artificial light at night increasing, dark skies worldwide are quickly fading away, disrupting nocturnal habitats, diminishing our view of the stars, and changing our relationship to the night.

This is what International Dark Sky Week is all about. Discover the night together, explore its importance, and take the actions needed to protect it for generations to come.

idsw.darksky.org

Do Look Up: The Best Places to Stargaze in Canada this Summer

Canada currently has 22 Dark Sky Preserves, making up over a third of all the current preserves recognized worldwide. With so much land and so few people, this is why Canada is such a great place for gazing up at the stars.

canadiangeographic.ca/articles/do-look-up-the-best-places-to-stargaze-in-canada-this-summer

Dark Sky Travel Guides

The winner of the darkest dark sky preserve in the country is Grasslands National Park, which also happens to be one of our favourite places to visit. Second place goes to Wood Buffalo National Park in Northern Alberta, and third place goes to Jasper National Park, which just so happens to be home to the Dark Sky Festival!

Exploring Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan

Having travelled across all of Canada, we’ve seen a lot of impressive national parks, and this is one of our favourites.

www.mustdocanada.com/exploring-grasslands-national-park-saskatchewan

Jasper Dark Sky Festival | Everything You Need to Know

From amazing skies to science shows and astronomy talks, the Jasper Dark Sky Festival is one of the best ways to experience one of the darkest dark sky preserves in the world!

www.mustdocanada.com/jasper-dark-sky-festival

Beaver Bites

Don’t forget to pre-order your box of 50 Ontario Must-Do Adventure Scratch-Off cards. From iconic attractions to hidden gems, this is your call to experience the best of Ontario!
This April Fool’s joke turned into Winnipeg’s new tourism campaign as they embrace their status as “Canada’s Middle Child”. Honestly, Winnipeg is a great city to visit, and these are some of the top things to do in Winnipeg when you get there.
Another city that can be often overlooked by bigger cities like Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver is Ottawa, the nation’s capital. However, it’s a stunning city to visit and is home to Canada’s best museums, walking distance to Quebec, and is now easy to visit from the UK thanks to Air Canada’s Heathrow-Ottawa direct flights.
Just like the Northern Lights, lots of people want to see an iceberg at least once in their lives, and thankfully, Newfoundland is one of the best places in the world to do so.
You know the saying “you’re never too old to travel?”. Well, these 80-year-old friends proved it right and have been travelling around the world for more than three months and are not planning to stop anytime soon.
Interested in golfing? From ocean views to mountain vistas, these are some of the best public golf courses and hidden gems in Canada.
Sometimes all we need is some fresh air and some inspiring art. That’s why the Swiss town of Neuchâtel is spearheading an unorthodox project to aid mental health. As part of a pilot, doctors can prescribe patients visits to museums and botanical gardens free of charge. If it’s successful, hopefully it spreads to Canada, as it would be much better economically and spiritually than medication.

Just for Fun

All hockey fans know that Alexander Ovechkin beat Gretzky’s goal-scoring record not long ago, but did you know that Sidney Crosby has broken one of Wayne Gretzky’s long-standing NHL records as well?
Just over 50 years ago, the CN Tower officially opened its doors and became the world’s tallest building, a record it held for a whopping 32 years. It took just over three years to build and only cost $30 million, barely enough to build a library now.

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