Originally Posted by nolens volans

Incidentally I don't get the obsession with seeing the northern lights myself, though maybe that's just because I'm used to them. They're pretty enough I suppose, the trouble with planning a trip to Iqaluit around them is that the best time of year to see them (October/November/December) also happens to be the worst time of year to do just about anything else - it's cold, dark and windy, the sea ice hasn't formed up properly, and there's too much snow to go hiking but not enough to go skiing or snowmobiling or to do any of the other fun outdoor winter things. The best time to be in Iqaluit IMO is April or May - long sunny days, great snow and ice conditions, temperature is usually a nice balmy -10, etc.