Manitobans dazzled by northern lights dancing in sky
Manitobans were treated to a stunning display of the northern lights on Thursday night, as the sky was lit up with swirls of green.
From Beausejour to Portage la Prairie to Riverton, Manitobans from all around the province caught a glimpse of the spectacular display of lights.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), it was the effects of an “Earth facing” coronal hole – a large gap in the solar atmosphere – that caused the bright display of the northern lights in Canada on Thursday night and Friday morning.
Though this phenomenon is mostly spotted in the Northwest Territories and the Prairie provinces, the northern lights were seen around Canada on Thursday, including making an appearance in southern Ontario.
Marnie Beaulieu saw the lights from her backyard in Oakbank.
"I was sitting watching TV at night and we have a big window behind us and I noticed I could see them quite clearly," Beaulieu said. “I'm really blessed to be out here in the country to be able to capture these kind of things.”
Jennifer Zacharias got a chance to snap pictures at Duff Roblin Park.
"Last night was amazing,” Zacharias said. “I've never seen them like that before. There was a lot of colours in them from reds, purples and green and they were just tracking across the sky. It was absolutely beautiful."
It's not the first time she's seen the lights, and it won't be the last.
Justin Anderson, an aurora chaser and photographer with his company High Hopes Aurora, says Thursday night's lights were very strong, reaching an eight on the KP scale, measuring activity.
"We are going to get more and more of them as we push into solar maximum which is coming in the next couple of years as activity's going to ramp up and become more frequent,” Anderson said. “It’s a great time to be an aurora chaser."
Anderson's encouraging people to check the lights out when they appear.
"Phones these days can pick up really good northern lights. When they are weak, you might not be able to get very good of a photo. When they are going strong, you can get some really good photos."
- With files from CTV London’s Kristylee Varley.
The Northern Lights seen from a home in north Winnipeg on March 23, 2023. (Source: Krystelle Capulong)
The Northern Lights in Beausejour on March 23, 2023.
The Northern Lights in Beausejour on March 23, 2023.
The Northern Lights seen just north of Riverton on March 23, 2023. (Source: Jason Hudson)
The Northern Lights seen just north of Riverton on March 23, 2023. (Source: Jason Hudson)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Special rapporteur Johnston rejects call to 'step aside' after majority of MPs vote for him to resign
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's efforts to assure Canadians that his government is adequately addressing the threat of foreign interference took a hit on Wednesday, when the majority of MPs in the House of Commons voted for special rapporteur David Johnston to 'step aside,' a call Johnston quickly rejected.

UPDATED | 'I heard a cracking noise': 16 children, 1 adult injured in platform collapse at Winnipeg's Fort Gibraltar
Seventeen people – most of whom are young students – were hospitalized after a falling from a height during a field trip at Winnipeg's Fort Gibraltar. However, many of the children are now being discharged and sent home, according to an update from the hospital.
Engaged couple shot dead days before moving out of house near Hamilton
An engaged couple was shot dead while fleeing their landlord near Hamilton just days before they were scheduled to move out of their apartment.
Federal Court of Appeal: Canada not constitutionally obligated to bring home suspected ISIS fighters
The Government of Canada has won its appeal and will not be legally forced to repatriate four Canadian men from prisons in Northeast Syria.
Canadian consumer debt hits all-time high, reaching $2.32 trillion in Q1 2023: TransUnion
Amid interest rate hikes and high inflation, more Canadians are turning to credit for relief, with consumer debt hitting a new record in the first quarter of 2023.
Canada closing in on deal to get Stellantis battery plant back on track: Champagne
A deal to save a $5-billion electric vehicle battery plant in Windsor is inching closer, Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said Wednesday.
House moving to midnight sittings as Liberals blame Conservatives for stalling agenda
It's that time of year again where MPs will be sitting until midnight until the House rises in late June, as the federal government pushes to pass as many bills as it can before the summer legislative hiatus. On Wednesday, Government House Leader Mark Holland announced that the Commons will be working late 'every single night … from here until the finish.'
Medication shortage in Canada led to increased dosing errors in children, new study shows
A new study has found that dosing errors in children increased during the Canada-wide shortage of paediatric fever and pain medication last year.
What you may not have known about bladder cancer
Although bladder cancer is the fifth most common cancer in Canada, experts say there’s a significant lack of awareness surrounding whom it affects the most — statistically, men — and that the most common risk factor is smoking.