PLEVNA, Ont.- They are marketing darkness in North Frontenac Township - skies so black that you can see thousands of stars invisible in Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto.
Light pollution has stolen the view of the night sky in most of the developed world, but not a five-minute drive west of Plevna, which is northwest of Sharbot Lake.
That's where North Frontenac has set up a place for one and all to bring their telescopes, cameras, or even just binoculars to see the sky the way our ancestors did.
The township has been designated a "dark sky" location by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, one of 17 such sites in the country. It is unique because the entire township is included, all 1,160 square kilometres, not just a small area.
That means the township is creating a rule that outdoor lights must be justified, and must follow certain rules. For instance, they must have a cover that prevents light from streaming upward.
Township councillor Betty Hunter says the new outdoor observation area four kilometres southwest of Plevna will have free access. It's not a direct money-maker, but the idea is that visitors will come to the region and stay a while.
Some already do come for the stars, Hunter said, but the township hopes for more.
The new preserve gives them electrical outlets for their equipment, a stable concrete platform for tripods, parking and a washroom. (Some telescopes require power to track across the sky as the Earth turns.)
The pad also shows true north.
"When you look up at night from a city, you may see a dozen or so faint stars," said astronomer Robert Dick, formerly a professor at Carleton University.
"In a dark sky preserve, you will not only see thousands, but you will also see the Milky Way as the dominant landscape of the sky. Without the distraction of artificial lighting, some people even report that the Milky Way seems so bright that it causes shadows."
Going out into undeveloped country in this region can mean having a lot of trees blocking the view. But in North Frontenac the observation pad is close to a private airport, so many of the trees are already cleared.
The observation area opens Saturday evening, a date chosen because it will be a new moon - the darkest time of the month and the best time (weather permitting) to see stars.
North Frontenac has about 1,800 year-round residents, rising to 8,000 in summer.
"North Frontenac has had a hard hit from the loss of U.S. tourists as a result of the economic downturn," Ron Higgins, a supporter of the project, said in an email. The township wants to bounce back.
"We have other projects identified but this one will be the cornerstone to attract a new tourist opportunity - astro tourism ... It will attract astronomical professionals, provide education and provide a new opportunity for people to do when they visit."
It's an odd concept, marketing the absence of light, rather than selling a product.
But even in this dark region, the developed world intrudes. On a clear night Betty Hunter can see the glows from Ottawa and Kingston in the distance.
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