Glass igloos, winter resorts: Fort McMurray chases lucrative aurora borealis tourism market

Imagine lying in bed in a heated glass igloo gazing up into the Alberta night sky as northern lights explode above you.

It's an idea Fort McMurray Tourism would like to see pitched as one way to entice visitors to the Wood Buffalo region.

"We're looking at getting ahead of the demand," said CEO Frank Creasey. "The experience is one that represents our community."

• Japanese drawn to Fort Mac's northern lights

Fort McMurray, located in northeastern Alberta, is well known for producing millions of barrels of bitumen from its oilsands each day. But the northern municipality is also a prime location for viewing the aurora borealis.

The northern lights appear frequently between October to March, though they can be seen occasionally on a warm summer night.

Fort McMurray Tourism recently issued a tender for a company to come up with five viewing locations and design a prospectus the agency could share with investors.

It's hoped the winning company will offer ideas catering to luxury and budget travellers, and domestic and international visitors.

'Northern Canadian' experience

The tourism agency wants the proposal to include ideas about ice sculptures, glass domes and viewing areas accomodating small and large groups.

The idea could be similar to the popular Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort north of the Arctic Circle in Finland, but instead of reindeer sleigh rides and exposure to Sami culture, it would integrate Wood Buffalo's local and Indigenous peoples.

"Create a real 'Northern Canadian' experience," the tender urges. "Rustic log construction, First Nations element, natural surroundings, locally-sourced food."

The aurora borealis tourism market is one already crowded, with communities in Northwest Territories, Yukon and Alaska offering packages and tours.

Creasey hopes Fort McMurray's clear skies, its 2,200 hotel rooms, easy access by road or air from hubs like Calgary and Edmonton set it apart. Eventually he hopes Fort McMurray will become to the go-to destination for travellers from Japan and China.

'The whole sky just turned purple'

A week ago, just before midnight, Graham Whatmough was driving when through the sunroof of his pickup, he saw the sky erupt into colour.

"All of sudden the whole sky just turned purple," Whatmough said. "The whole view I had out of my sunroof is just white and purple."

These scenes have become an obsession for Whatmough, a local photographer and videographer who runs a popular local Facebook page.

But while Whatmough wouldn't call Fort McMurray the best place to see the northern lights because of  light pollution, he thinks the visitor's centre is still a good idea.

Fort McMurray Tourism hopes to have an investor's prospectus ready by December with the proposal become reality in five to 10 years.

Follow David Thurton, CBC's Fort McMurray correspondent, on Facebook, Twitter or contact him via email.