Media Centre - Spectacular North West Territories

It’s midnight at the Yellowknife Golf Club and a group of golfers are getting ready to tee off at the Canadian North Midnight Classic golf tournament. They aren’t the only ones who are awake; it’s the summer solstice and the sun is still up, too.

The weather is a big part of an NWT winter vacation. Zipping up the parka and stepping out into -30C (or lower) is an integral part of the northern experience. That's when you'll hear the crunching sound of snow underfoot. Or feel the frost forming on your eyelashes. Or marvel at a technicolour sunset in the middle of the afternoon. There are dozens of winter experiences that can happen only in the far north and we'd like to introduce you to some of our favourites:

It's the middle of the day and a pair of skis rest up against the wall of Richard Zaidan's cubicle at work. The trails analyst for Parks Canada in Fort Smith skis to work every day and comes in early so that he can also hit the trails at lunch. It's a 15-30-minute workout each way. "I generally don't like driving in the winter much, I prefer to dress warm and walk, ski or run," he says. "I am skiing more than usual this year because I am competing in the Cross Country Ski World Masters Championships." He has embraced the winter since his arrival in the community six years ago, along with his wife and their three young children.

Stéphane Sevigny, owner of Aquilon Power Kiting, likes Yellowknife a lot. "It's big enough not to be noticed but small enough to get to know a lot of people," he says. "It's also a welcoming and safe environment." For him and wife Sylvie, it's become home. "We no longer think about leaving. We know more people here than where we are from." The couple also likes the outdoors. "Last summer we bought a boat and travelled 20 minutes from home until we found our slice of paradise. In Montreal, we would have to drive four or five hours for the same trip."

Grant Beck's dogs have taken him around the world. Now they're bringing the world to his doorstep. The four-time Canadian dogsledding champion was born and raised in the Northwest Territories community of Fort Resolution. He moved to Yellowknife in 1968 and worked as the city's superintendent of public works by day and raced dogs as a hobby.

Yellowknife may be known as the Diamond Capital of North America, but once you arrive, you'll find all kinds of gems, even if you only have an hour or a half-day to enjoy them.

On the north side of the Mackenzie River is Norman Wells, a town rich with Canadian history dating back to the late 19th century oil prospecting. It's also the centre for the Sahtu, the heartland of the Mackenzie Valley and the home of wilderness adventure.

If you've ever wanted to live a day in the life of an authentic Northerner, Arctic Adventure Tours' Fabulous Fun Run is your chance.

You'll have canine power in the palm of your hands, as you command a team of your own dogs going 20 mph. Safely controlled by experienced supervisors, you'll follow a guide onto the frozen lake, and into the breathtaking arctic wilderness for a voyage unmatched by any other. For all ages, this run is the mush of a lifetime.

The Deh Cho Travel route weaves its way across rolling grasslands of the Peace River region, through towering majestic boreal forests and skirts along mountainous landscapes of the Mackenzie and Canadian Rocky mountains.