Catching the northern lights at Britannia Park or Petrie Island? Watch for bylaw, too

Aurora chasers facing tickets, blockades, patrols as they seek out dark spots to see elusive light show

The light show started off slowly after Steve Slaby pulled into Britannia Park late Monday night, but it didn’t disappoint.

“It just kept getting better and better and better,” he said. “It was peaking at one in the morning, when it was just out of this world: greens, reds, yellows, all sorts of colours, and lots of movement.”

He captured vivid pictures of the aurora borealis, now around the peak of its 11-year cycle. Slaby was so captivated that he wasn’t thinking much about the time.

But bylaw officers were.

“One of the vehicles came driving down on the beach with his spotlight,” he said. “They were hunting for people.”

They were also hunting for vehicles, including Slaby’s. The spectacle landed him a $70 ticket for parking his car in a lot within the park after hours. The restriction is marked on a small sign along the road leading toward the beach, though Slaby didn’t see it.

It wasn’t the first time bylaw officers swooped in on that parking lot on a night with a promising aurora forecast. Stella Ness and her partner were ticketed there on Aug. 2 as they tried to catch a glimpse of the lights from the beach.

“I think the city should stop ticketing for the northern light show,” she said. “They need to tell their bylaw officers to cool it.”

Her feelings are shared by aurora chasers across Ottawa who feel officers have been aggressively enforcing park closure bylaws. From tickets at Britannia Park to roadblocks at Petrie Island, they’re finding few dark, open spaces within urban Ottawa left open for the show.

“I think the city needs to be aware that there is a celestial event that is wonderful, that is awe-inspiring and amazing,” said Ness.

Bylaw director understands frustration

The early hours of Monday were another promising time for watching the northern lights, and the city confirmed it handed out nine tickets in Britannia Park on Oct. 7.

It said the vehicles were parked in contravention of the traffic and parking bylaw, which forbids vehicles from parking in lots within city parks between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.

“We understand the frustration of those who received a ticket on October 7 while trying to enjoy the aurora borealis,” said an emailed statement attributed to Roger Chapman, director of bylaw and regulatory services.