Underneath the nebulous pillar of the Milky Way, visitors to the sold-out Almaguin Summer Star Party discovered a new reason to visit the region.
When it comes to dark skies, Almaguin is light years ahead. Astrotourism expert Stéphane Picard of Cliff Valley Astronomy discovered this when he was contracted by Explorer’s Edge and Almaguin Community Economic Development to present at the Star Party on Aug. 11 and 12. He also hosted two workshops to help local businesses understand how they can develop tourism products based on the night sky.
With the world’s population increasing, light pollution has increased by 10 per cent, which is why Picard said astrotourism is the fastest growing segment of tourism and travel right now.
“Urban centres are losing their ability to see the night sky. Now you have to travel further and it’s hard to get a star-filled night sky,” Picard told Almaguin News.
The Almaguin Summer Star Party was a collaborative effort between ACED, Explorer’s Edge — the regional tourism operator known as Great Canadian Wilderness on social media, local businesses and municipal stakeholders. This collaboration led to a wildly successful event, according to the economic development office for ACED, Courtney Metcalf.
“Both nights sold out well before the event, which shows how much interest there is in experiencing Almaguin’s night skies,” said Metcalf. “Even when the weather wasn’t perfect, people showed up with a great attitude, ready to explore the stars, enjoy some local food and music and connect with others.”
Asked on the benefits of turning day-trippers to Almaguin into overnight stays via dark sky and astrotourism, Metcalf said it’s a perfect fit.
“We already have some of Ontario’s best natural night skies, so creating events like the Summer Star Party allows us to share that asset while stimulating our local economy,” she said.
Building on that, Metcalf said events such as the star party can turn a fun night out into a full Almaguin getaway. When visitors stick around, they book a room, grab a meal and check out shops and other attractions like Screaming Heads near Burk’s Falls or Tom Thomson Park in South River.
“It also creates opportunities for local businesses to innovate — offering themed menus, special packages and unique products, so the economic impact is spread across the whole community,” she said.
Explorer’s Edge chief executive officer James Murphy echoed Metcalf’s statements and emphasized Almaguin has a lot of potential.
“There’s some great assets out there (and) not just natural assets,” said Murphy, noting Screaming Heads, Magnetawan’s waterfront and local music venues like RiverBowl in Burk’s Falls.
“But how do you carve out your niche?” he asked. According to Picard and Murphy, Almaguin has a cache of perfect dark sky areas within the region.
“There’s potential for a trail to go throughout that area,” said Murphy, noting that another plus for astrotourism in Almaguin is it can be year-round.
“As much as it’s great to do astronomy in the summer time, it’s better to do it in the winter because it gets dark out earlier,” he said. “So there’s huge potential to capitalize on the shoulder season based on the fact the days are shorter.”
“And there are no fire bans in the winter time,” he added.
Kayaking, hiking, photography, snowmobiling, skiing — all can be transformed into a night sky experience, said Picard.
“Everything does not have to be sophisticated telescopes and all that,” he explained, emphasizing that at his location in New Brunswick, Cliff Valley often connects with Indigenous communities and the powerful storytelling of how their culture and heritage interprets the night sky.
“This makes great experiences around a campfire listening to storytelling. It immerses you into a new culture and a new way of looking at things,” he said.
Cliff Valley Astronomy has its own network of “Astro Lodgings” and Picard was pleased to tell Almaguin News he was returning to New Brunswick with a new partner in Ontario. Almaguin’s Brennan’s Hill Camping and Cabins signed on to be a part of the “Dark Sky Destinations” network.
Kim Yeaman, alongside her partner Robert, have built Brennan’s Hill Camping and Cabins into a successful off-grid camping destination. She said joining Cliff Valley’s network just made sense.
“Our campground is already off grid with almost no light pollution. So stargazing has always been a highlight for our guests,” Yeaman said, adding that she has invested in a “pretty awesome” telescope based on Picard’s recommendations.
Cliff Valley brings resources, connections and the know-how that helps Yeaman reach more people, which she emphasized is an important part of growing a business.
“Promoting Almaguin as a dark sky destination isn’t just good for campgrounds — it’s good for everyone,” she said, adding that cross-community collaboration is important and when businesses and community partners join forces, they can create something much bigger than they could have done alone.
“The dark sky initiative is a perfect example. It’s not just one place offering stargazing, it’s the whole region inviting people to experience something rare and beautiful together,” she said.
“We can’t wait to see where this takes Almaguin.”
Keep your eyes on Explore Almaguin, which is ACED’s tourism handle on social media, for more star parties in the future.
