Some Northerners say they can tell exactly when they cross the 60th Parallel in an aircraft; others have been known to floor the pedal until they cross that magic line on the highway - and then sit back and relax a bit.

Ask those who have lived here all their lives, most of their lives or even just a few years: chances are you'll hear the same theme from each - they came and something about the land took hold of their heart and soul and wouldn't let go .... so they stayed.

Now, it might have been the fishing, which is really good, and we mean REALLY good! Or it might have been the beauty of huge lakes bathed in the glow of sunset or a river just waiting for a canoe to breast its calms and rapids.

Or it might have been the sight of caribou herds in migration or the all-night sounds of returning waterfowl as great flocks stream north to the arctic nesting grounds. Perhaps it was some act of kindness from a Northern stranger to a newcomer or the cheerfulness that carries people through long winters or the sharing of ancient tales or the fiddle music from a Metis violin and the stamp of moccasined feet in a reel or jig, the beat of a Dene or Inuit drum.

Any one of these experiences might have been what convinced your Northerner (the one who isn't an aboriginal) to stay North of 60 - and if you watch and listen, open your mind and heart to your Northern experience, you may find yourself doing the same thing.

The lure of the North is powerful and it catches the stranger and visitor unaware, so that, returning south, there is always this odd little tug of memory that whispers: "Come back; come to Me, I am North! I am waiting."

Don't be surprised, then, if you find yourself dreaming beside a campfire. a river, a lake or staring out over the vastness of boreal forest and planning your next trip North!