This summer, I was thrilled to have my first U.S. astronomy article published – a back-page piece on Canada’s dark sky preserves for Sky & Telescope magazine. Below, you’ll find info and links to every single one of Canada’s “astronomy parks”, as well as info on the latest events happening at many of them. Enjoy your celestial pub-crawl of the skies under the true-north strong-&-free : ) Royal Astronomical Society of Canada recognized dark-sky preserves and other areas (where noted, a park close to a city is designated an ‘RASC Urban Star Park’)
MARITIME/EAST-COAST PROVINCES 
Terra Nova National Park, Newfoundland
Kejimkujik National Park,Nova Scotia
- 2014/2015 slate of stargazing events
Kouchibouguac National Park, New Brunswick
Mount Carleton Provincial Park, New Brunswick
Fundy National Park, New Brunswick
Irving Nature Park, City of Saint John, New Brunswick (‘RASC Urban Star Park’)
- astronomy events at Irving Nature Park
QUEBEC
Mont-Mégantic International Dark-Sky Reserve, Quebec (designation from the International Dark Sky Association)
- Full slate of year-round events (all services available in English upon-request or via pre-scheduled English language tours)
Large public observatory- Huge research observatory
- On-site science centre
ONTARIO
- Full-slate of events – dates via the preserve’s Facebook page
More info on the preserve itself on their website
Lennox-Addington Dark Sky Viewing Area (not designated by the RASC but acknowledged by Canadian astronomy journalists)
Torrance Barrens (Canada’s first dark sky preserve and second in the world)
Gordon’s Park, Manitoulin Island (the world’s first privately-owned dark sky
- full-slate of 2014/2015 eventspreserve)
- summer star parties for 2014
Bluewater Outdoor Centre, near Wiarton, Ontario
- ‘Bayside Astronomy’ stargazing sessions with summer student astronomer
- astronomy events at the Bluewater Outdoor Centre
Bruce Peninsula National Park and Fathom Five National Marine Park
- ‘Bayside Astronomy’ stargazing sessions with summer student astronomer
Point Pelee National Park (some Southern Hemisphere objects visible in the spring here across Lake Erie)
SASKATCHEWAN (Prairies/Canadian Shield)
Grasslands National Park (arguably the darkest dark sky preserve in North America)
- Full slate of summer stargazing events
Cypress Hills Inter-Provincial Park, Saskatchewan/Alberta
- Large observatory with astronomer-in-residence and astronomy-specific camping area
- Hosts the Saskatchewan Summer Star Party each August ( Aug 21-24 for 2014, Aug 13-16 for 2015 )
- Click here for other seasonal astronomy events in this park
ALBERTA (Prairies/Rocky Mountains)
Cypress Hills Inter-Provincial Park, Saskatchewan/Alberta
- Large observatory with astronomer-in-residence and astronomy-specific camping area
- Hosts the Saskatchewan Summer Star Party each August ( Aug 21-24 for 2014, Aug 13-16 for 2015 )
- Click here for other seasonal astronomy events in this park
Elk Island National Park / Beaver Hills Dark-Sky Preserve (closest dark sky preserve to a major urban centre – Edmonton)
Jasper National Park (sometimes called “The Disney World of dark sky preserves – by far the largest number of attractsions and amenities for any dark sky park in the world)
- Hosts a year-round slate of astronomy programs
- The Jasper Dark Sky Festival hosts some of the biggest names in space in Canada and the world-over each October
Waterton Lakes National Park (not an official RASC-designated park but an exceptionally dark mountain tourist region)
Wood Buffalo National Park, Fort Smith, Northwest Territories/Alberta border (world’s largest dark sky preserve, larger than Switzerland or the moon Mimas – aurora-viewing is superior to that near cities such as Yellowknife)
- 30-seat digital planetarium in the park visitor centre
3rd Annual Thebacha & Wood Buffalo Dark Sky Festival, will be hosted on August 22 – 24, 2014 in and around Fort Smith and the Park- 4th Annual Thebacha & Wood Buffalo Dark Sky Festival will be hosted on August 21 to 23, 2015 ( further info on this will be online in 2015 )
- 2014 and 2015 aurora tours being organized with SkyNews magazine editor Peter McMahon and world-renowned aurora and astrophotographer Yuichi Takasaka – for more info, contact peter@ontarioplanetarium.com
THE NORTH (Northwest Territories / Northern Alberta, Sask, etc…)
Wood Buffalo National Park, Fort Smith, Northwest Territories/Alberta border (world’s largest dark sky preserve, larger than Switzerland or the moon Mimas – aurora-viewing is superior to that near cities such as Yellowknife)
- 30-seat digital planetarium in the park visitor centre
- 3rd Annual Thebacha & Wood Buffalo Dark Sky Festival, will be hosted on August 22 – 24, 2014 in and around Fort Smith and the Park
4th Annual Thebacha & Wood Buffalo Dark Sky Festival will be hosted on August 21 to 23, 2015 (further info on this will be online in 2015)- 2014 and 2015 aurora tours being organized with SkyNews magazine editor Peter McMahon and world-renowned aurora and astrophotographer Yuichi Takasaka – for more info, contact peter@ontarioplanetarium.com
McDonald Park Dark-Sky Park, Fraser Valley Dark Sky Park
Cattle Point, near Victoria (‘RASC Urban Star Park’)