Erika Sherk
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jan 19/07) - Yellowknife is known world-wide for having northern lights that take your breath away. For many veteran Yellowknifers though, the northern lights are merely a flashy bonus to their Northern lifestyle.

Don and Gladys Morin stand before one of their lighted teepees at Aurora Village. They're expanding every year, said Don.- photo courtesy of Don Morin

The city is right below the middle of what is called the "aurora oval," where the Northern lights shine brightest, making for some of the most spectacular aurora borealis in the world, say scientists. However, people tend to forget about things that are always there.

There are, however, people in the city who do not forget about the aurora for a single second. These are the intrepid adventurers - almost exclusively from Japan - who travel thousands of kilometres and hand over thousands of dollars - all to see the auroras. These dollars make a big difference to the Yellowknife economy, said those promoting NWT tourism.

Aurora tourism makes up a solid quarter of total tourism to Yellowknife, according to territorial government statistics. That includes all summer tourists.

"It's absolutely vital," said Robin Wotherspoon, chairperson of NWT Tourism.

During the 2000-2001 winter season, tourists spent $5.4 million on aurora tours alone. When one considers this group spent $19.9 million all together that season, that means there is a lot of money being spent outside the aurora tours themselves.

It's different than other tourism draws like fishing and hunting, said Don Morin, owner of Aurora Village.

"(Yellowknife) is the destination," he said.

Aurora tourist spending (millions) 1994-1995 (estimated) $1.8 2000-2001: $15.9 2001-2002: $7.9 2002-2003: $11.0 2003-2004: $12.2 2004-2005: $12.5 2005-2006: $13.4 - 2000-2006: Visitation and spending - Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment statistics Aurora spin-offs Percentage of aurora tourists participating: Shopping: 70% Dogsledding: 68% Snowmobiling: 42% Snowshoeing: 10% Most popular spin-off purchase: carvings - 63 per cent of all Japanese visitors purchased some type of carving. - 2003/2004 Aurora Visitors Survey Results -Industry, Tourism and Investment GNWT April, 2005) Shorts stays and lots of jobs Average visit: three nights and four days Average spending: $1,709 Estimated number of "person years" of work aurora tourism has created per year: 172 Aurora tourism jobs are generally seasonal as well, meaning about twice as many actual jobs. - Aurora Tourism Economic Impact on the NWT (Resources, Wildlife, and Economic Development, GNWT - Jan. 2002)

"The money they bring stays here whereas in the other tourism industries it kind of loops around the territories," because most hunting and fishing lodges are remote, he said.

Aurora tourism also brings money into all corners and crannies of Yellowknife.

It made a real difference to tourism when aurora tours started taking off in the area, making Yellowknife a hot tourism market, said Wotherspoon.

"Hotels were booked, the restaurants were busy, the craft shops, the art galleries, the souvenir shops... Everyone benefits from having them here," said Wotherspoon.

Sandy Craig is an employee at the Gallery of the Midnight Sun, a souvenir shop in Yellowknife.

They see at least one group of aurora tourists in the store every day, she said, "from four people to 40."

"They enjoy shopping a lot," said Craig. The tourists tend to buy knick-knacks and small souvenirs, she said, but it is not uncommon for them to purchase large items like furs as well.

"They like sealskin and beaver," she said.

Aurora tourism is a "very, very important part of tourism" in Yellowknife, said David Grindlay, executive director of NWT Tourism.

Before aurora tourism, there were really no tourists in the city over the winter, he said.

"We didn't have a winter product at all before," said Wotherspoon.

Aurora fans are an integral part of tourism in that they make for a year-round flow of tourists to the city, as they are willing to brave the icy winds of winter to see the lights, said Ron Ostrom, director of marketing with NWT Tourism.

"Twenty years ago I remember going into the hotels over Christmas time in Yellowknife and there was virtually no one there," said Grindlay.

"The restaurants were empty in the winter season," he added.

Having some 13,000 people coming through in the winter period compared to none at all shows how paramount aurora tourism is to the city's economy, he said.

The jobs created by the demand for northern lights tourism and the money flowing into spin-off businesses is significant, said Grindlay.

Spin-off businesses include the hotels, restaurants, and gift shops and other winter activity companies such as dog sledding and ice fishing, he said.

The first aurora tourism operators started up in 1989. Less than 100 people came that year. By the 2000-2001 season Yellowknife welcomed more than 12,000 aurora tourists.

Sage Suzuki was one of the first operators, starting Canadian Ex Aurora Tours in 1992.

Originally from Tokyo, Japan, he moved to Yellowknife for "an adventure."

"So many people came to see me, I thought, why not start a business?" he laughed.

He began providing aurora tours in 1992.

"I thought the sky was so beautiful in the winter with the northern lights," he said.

His was the second company in town. The first has since folded.

"People forget, but aurora tourism started here in Yellowknife," said Grindlay.

When Suzuki started, there were about 2,300 tourists coming each year, he said.

"The numbers went up and up," he said. "Until Sept. 11."

In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the number of people travelling to the territory plummeted.

According to a territorial government report, the number of tourists dropped by 5,500 people that winter.

Though a harsh blow to operators, they said these things happen in the tourism world.

It doesn't discount the fact that aurora tourism has been bringing millions of dollars to Yellowknife annually - for something that appears in the sky for free. Though numbers still aren't quite as high as they were before 2001, they are still solid, said operators.

"This year's been crazy," said Wesstrom. "A rush started 10 days before Christmas. I couldn't even spend Christmas with my family."

"I'm not complaining though," he said.

"We're booked pretty good," said Morin. "Every year we're growing."

Suzuki was in agreement. He said whatever statistics may say, business is going steadily this year.

"So far so good," he said.

Wednesday: What is the future for aurora tourism?