Northern Lights Festival Boréal is an annual summer

music festival A music festival is a community event with performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme such as musical genre (e.g., rock, blues, folk, jazz, classical music), nationality, locality of musicians, or h ...

Greater Sudbury Sudbury, officially the City of Greater Sudbury is the largest city in Northern Ontario by population, with a population of 166,004 at the 2021 Canadian Census. By land area, it is the largest in Ontario and the List of the largest cities and to ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada. It is one of Canada's oldest music festivals in continuous operation, having been staged every year since 1972 until the

Covid-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

."Northern Lights Festival Boreal finalizes 45th anniversary performance roster"
'' Soo Today'', April 20, 2016. Only the

Mariposa Folk Festival Mariposa Folk Festival is a Canadian music festival founded in 1961 in Orillia, Ontario. It was held in Orillia for three years before being banned because of disturbances by festival-goers. After being held in various places in Ontario for a f ...

is older, but it was not staged in 1980 or 1981. The

bilingual Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. More than half of all E ...

festival is held in

Bell Park Bell Park is a residential suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. It is located 3 km north-west of the Geelong city centre and is bordered to the north by Cowies Creek, to the east by Thompson Road, to the south by the Midland Highway an ...

, including the Grace Hartman Amphitheatre, on the shore of the city's

Ramsey Lake Ramsey Lake (french: Lac Ramsey) is a lake in Greater Sudbury, Sudbury, Ontario, located near the city's downtown core. Until 2001, Ramsey Lake was listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest lake located entirely within ...

. It presents a diverse program of music in a variety of genres, arts, crafts and children's entertainment, typically featuring a mix of national, international and local artists and performers. Musicians at the festival typically participate in both conventional concert performances and "workshop" sessions collaborating with several other musicians. In addition to the main festival, the organizing committee also sponsors concerts and other cultural events in the city throughout the year; during the festival weekend, an additional lineup of local artists also performs downtown at the Towne House rather than at the park site. The festival is usually held on the first weekend in July, although it was postponed until the last weekend of the month in 1988 to serve as the cultural festival for the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics, which were held in the city. Most commonly held over three days from Friday to Sunday, at various times in its history the festival has taken place over one, two or four days as well.

History

The festival is the historic venue where Canadian folk musician

Stan Rogers Stanley Allison Rogers (November 29, 1949 – June 2, 1983) was a Canadian folk musician and songwriter. Rogers was noted for his rich, baritone voice and his traditional-sounding songs which were frequently inspired by Canadian history and th ...

wrote one of his most famous songs, "

Barrett's Privateers "Barrett's Privateers" is a modern folk song in the style of a sea shanty, written and performed by Canadian musician Stan Rogers, having been inspired after a song session with the Friends of Fiddler's Green at the Northern Lights Festival ...

"."Stan Rogers: 10 Years Gone". ''

Ottawa Citizen The ''Ottawa Citizen'' is an English-language daily newspaper owned by Postmedia Network in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. History Established as ''The Bytown Packet'' in 1845 by William Harris (journalist), William Harris, it was renamed the '' ...

'', July 11, 1993. He reportedly wrote the song because he did not know any traditional

sea shanties A sea shanty, chantey, or chanty () is a genre of traditional Folk music, folk song that was once commonly sung as a work song to accompany rhythmical labor aboard large Merchant vessel, merchant Sailing ship, sailing vessels. The term ''shanty ...

to contribute at a collaborative performance session with the band

Friends of Fiddler's Green Friends of Fiddler's Green is a Canadian folk music group based in Toronto founded in 1971 and still active as of 2018. The members of the group at the time of its first recording, 1981's ''This Side of the Ocean'', were Alistair Brown, Tam Kearne ...

. In the 1980s, the festival was one of the first major venues to book

Shania Twain Eilleen Regina "Shania" Twain ( , ; née Edwards; born August 28, 1965) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She has sold over 100 million records, making her the best-selling female artist in country music history and one of the best-s ...

before she was signed to a record label. The 1990 event saw the first collaborative performance by folk musicians

James Keelaghan James Keelaghan (born October 28, 1959) is a Canadian folk singer-songwriter. Born in Calgary, Alberta, Keelaghan is now based in Perth, Ontario. Many of the lyrics in his songs display a concern about social problems and justice in society. E ...

and Oscar Lopez, who later recorded two

Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...

-nominated albums together as ''Compadres''. In 1992, the festival was profiled in the

TVOntario TVO Media Education Group (often abbreviated as TVO and stylized on-air as tvo) is a publicly funded English-language educational television network and media organization serving the Canadian province of Ontario. It is operated by the Ontario ...

series ''Putting On the Arts''. In 1999, a minor controversy ensued when pop singer Amanda Marshall announced a concert in the city on a date that conflicted with the festival."Everybody loves Amanda Marshall". ''

Sudbury Star ''The Sudbury Star'' is a Canadian daily regional newspaper published in Sudbury, Ontario. It is owned by the media company, Postmedia. It is the largest daily paper in Northeastern Ontario by circulation. History The ''Sudbury Star'' began as ...

'', July 9, 1999. The issue was resolved when Marshall's promoters offered a special promotional pass which would enable ticketholders to attend both events; however, attendance at the festival still fell below expectations that year, leaving the event in a financial deficit. The following year, the festival recovered financially by presenting a smaller-scale program. In 2017, the festival expanded its three-day schedule by adding a Thursday night performance lineup devoted exclusively to

Indigenous music Indigenous music is a term for the traditional music of the indigenous peoples of the world, that is, the music of an "original" ethnic group that inhabits any geographic region alongside more recent immigrants who may be greater in number. The ter ...

. In 2020, the festival was cancelled for the first time in its history due to the

COVID-19 pandemic in Canada The COVID-19 pandemic in Canada is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (). It is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). Most cases over the course of the pandemic have been in Ontario, Que ...

. The 2021 festival was also cancelled. The festival returned for its 50th anniversary edition in 2022.

Awards

The festival presents an annual Jackie Washington Award for distinguished contribution to

Northern Ontario Northern Ontario is a primary geographic and quasi-administrative region of the Canadian province of Ontario, the other primary region being Southern Ontario. Most of the core geographic region is located on part of the Superior Geological Provi ...

's cultural life. Past winners of the award have included

Robert Paquette Robert Paquette (born July 2, 1949) is a Canadian folk singer-songwriter. In 1970, he worked with the student theatre group at Laurentian University, composing songs for the Franco-Ontarian stage musical ''Moé, j'viens du nord, 'stie!'' The ...

Ken Whiteley Kenneth Whiteley (born April 30, 1951) is a multi-instrumentalist, producer and composer. He began performing folk music in the early 1970s, making frequent appearances at the Mariposa Folk Festival and recording and touring with acclaimed childre ...

, Daniel Bédard, Paul Dunn and

Charlie Angus Charles Joseph Angus (born November 14, 1962) is a Canadian author, journalist, broadcaster, musician and politician. A member of the New Democratic Party (NDP), Angus has been the federal Member of Parliament for the riding of Timmins—Jame ...

."Music, art combine to make NLFB a success". ''

'', July 18, 1999. The award is named for

Jackie Washington Jackie Washington (November 12, 1919 – June 27, 2009) was a Canadian blues musician. Biography He was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, the grandson of an African American fleeing slavery, and one of fifteen children born to his parents, ...

, a

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

musician who appeared at the festival 25 times between the festival's inauguration in 1972 and Washington's death in 2009. Also awarded each year is the Bernie Melanson Volunteer Award, named after one of the festival's original founding members and given to individuals or groups who have given longstanding or exceptional volunteer service to the event.

Performers

1980

CANO CANO, a Canadian progressive rock band of the 1970s and 1980s, was the most successful popular musical group in Franco-Ontarian history. Origins CANO evolved out of the ''Coopérative des artistes du Nouvel-Ontario'' (''Artists' Cooperative of N ...

Tom Rush Thomas Walker Rush (born February 8, 1941) is an American folk and blues singer, guitarist and songwriter who helped launch the careers of other singer-songwriters in the 1960s and has continued his own singing career for 60 years. Life and ...

1983

Scott Merritt Scott Merritt is a Canadian singer-songwriter and record producer.Scott Merritt
at

Lauri Conger Lauri Conger is notable primarily as the keyboardist and one of the principal co-writers of most of the songs of The Parachute Club. History Lauri Conger is a native of Thunder Bay, where she began her professional music career in the 1970s. ...

and

Lorraine Segato Lorraine P. Segato (born June 17, 1956 in Hamilton, Ontario) is a Canadian pop singer-songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist for and a principal songwriter of new wave and pop rock group The Parachute Club, with which she continues to pe ...

The Nylons The Nylons are an a cappella group founded in 1978 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, best known for their covers of pop songs such as The Turtles' " Happy Together", Steam's "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye", and The Tokens' "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" ...

, the Bop Cats, Joe Hall, Nancy White, Eritage,

Shirley Eikhard Shirley Rose Eikhard (7 November 1955 – 15 December 2022) was a Canadian singer-songwriter. Although moderately successful in Canada as a performer in her own right, she had her greatest Canadian and international success as a songwriter for ...

Richard Séguin Richard Séguin (born March 27, 1952 in Pointe-aux-Trembles, Québec Canada) is a Québécois songwriter, musician and singer. His music career began in the 1970s with the duo Les Séguin, with his twin sister Marie-Claire. The duo achieved c ...

, Paul Dunn, Daisy DeBolt, Jacko Chartrand

1990

, Oscar Lopez,

Tom Paxton Thomas Richard Paxton (born October 31, 1937) is an American folk singer-songwriter who has had a music career spanning more than fifty years. In 2009, Paxton received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

, Josephine,

Loreena McKennitt Loreena Isobel Irene McKennitt, (born February 17, 1957) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer who writes, records, and performs world music with Celtic and Middle Eastern influences. McKennitt is known for her ...

1995

Ashley MacIsaac Ashley Dwayne MacIsaac (born February 24, 1975) is a Canadian fiddler, singer and songwriter from Cape Breton Island. He has received three Juno Awards, winning for Best New Solo Artist and Best Roots & Traditional Album – Solo at the Juno A ...

Kashtin Kashtin were a Canadian folk rock duo in the 1980s and 1990s, one of the most commercially successful and famous musical groups in First Nations history. Career The band was formed in 1984 by Claude McKenzie and Florent Vollant, two Innu music ...

, Nadjiwan, The Wailing Aztecs,

The Shuffle Demons The Shuffle Demons are a Canadian jazz fusion band from Toronto. Early career The band were formed in 1984 by saxophonist Richard Underhill in collaboration with a variety of Toronto-area jazz musicians including Mike Murley, Dave Parker and ...

Stephen Fearing Stephen Fearing (born 1963) is a Canadian roots/folk singer-songwriter.

Eric Nagler Eric Nagler (born June 1, 1942 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American musician and television personality known primarily for his work on Canadian children's television series such as ''The Elephant Show'' and ''Eric's World''. Biography Initi ...

1997

Blue Rodeo Blue Rodeo is a Canadian country rock band formed in 1984 in Toronto, Ontario. They have released 16 full-length studio albums, four live recordings, one greatest hits album, and two video/DVDs, along with multiple solo albums, side projects, a ...

Bob Wiseman Robert Neil "Bob" Wiseman (born 1962) is a film composer, songwriter, author and music teacher. Wiseman discovered or produced many artists including Ron Sexsmith, The Lowest of the Low, Bruce McCulloch of Kids in the Hall, Anhai, and former ...

Universal Honey Universal Honey is a Canadian power pop band. The band released seven albums. History The group was formed in 1992 by bassist Johnny Sinclair and singer/guitarist Leslie Stanwyck, both formerly of The Pursuit of Happiness. They were joined by gu ...

, Change of Heart, The Pursuit of Happiness, Bob Snider,

Fred Eaglesmith Frederick John Elgersma (born July 9, 1957), known by the stage name Fred Eaglesmith, is a Canadian alternative country singer-songwriter. He is known for writing songs about vehicles, rural life, down-and-out characters, lost love and quirky rur ...

, Pacande, The Wailing Aztecs, Nadjiwan, Les Chaizes Muzikales

1998

Bruce Cockburn Bruce Douglas Cockburn ( ; born May 27, 1945) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist. His song styles range from folk to jazz-influenced rock and his lyrics cover a broad range of topics including human rights, environmental issues, po ...

Natalie MacMaster Natalie MacMaster (born June 13, 1972) is a Canadian fiddler from Troy, Inverness County, Nova Scotia who plays Cape Breton fiddle music. MacMaster has toured with the Chieftains, Faith Hill, Carlos Santana, and Alison Krauss, and has recorded ...

Rheostatics Rheostatics are a Canadian indie rock band. They were formed in 1978, and actively performed from 1980 until disbanding in 2007. After a number of reunion performances at special events, Rheostatics reformed in late 2016, introducing new songs a ...

1999

Mackeel,

Buckwheat Zydeco Stanley Dural Jr. (November 14, 1947 – September 24, 2016), better known by his stage name Buckwheat Zydeco, was an American accordionist and zydeco musician. He was one of the few zydeco artists to achieve mainstream success. His music gro ...

Grievous Angels Grievous Angels are a Canadian alternative country band, active since 1986."Street Beat". ''Toronto Star'', June 11, 1987. The band's name is a reference to the Gram Parsons album '' Grievous Angel''."Angels have Canadian roots". '' Edmonton Jour ...

, Kim Stockwood

2000

The Arrogant Worms The Arrogant Worms are a Canadian musical comedy trio founded in 1991 that parodies many musical genres. They are well known for their humorous on-stage banter in addition to their music. The members since 1995 are Trevor Strong (vocals), Mike McC ...

Rita Chiarelli Rita Chiarelli is a Canadian blues singer. She was called "the goddess of Canadian blues" by Shelagh Rogers at CBC Radio One. Biography Born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, Chiarelli began performing in Ronnie Hawkins' band in the early 1980s. ...

, the Corndogs, Alun Piggins,

Carlos del Junco Carlos del Junco (born May 17, 1958) is a Cuban-Canadian harmonica player. Career Del Junco was born in Cuba and moved to Canada with his family in 1959. He started to play harmonica when he was fourteen. He graduated from Ontario College of Ar ...

, Konflit Dramatik, Ruby Craig, the Rockin' Highliners, Debbie Danbrook, Hank Engel and the Hoosier Daddies, No Reservations, Darlene

2004

, BeeBop Cowboys, Broche à Foin,

Kevin Closs Kevin Closs (born 1963) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, and author ("OMAGEE") Closs was raised on Manitoulin Island Manitoulin Island is an island in Lake Huron, located within the borders of the Canadian province of Ontario, in the bioreg ...

, Sarah Craig,

Véronic DiCaire Véronic DiCaire (born in Embrun, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian Franco-Ontarian singer and impressionist.

, Brian Dunn,

, The Havocs,

Colin James Colin James (born Colin James Munn, August 17, 1964) is a Canadian rock and blues singer and songwriter. Biography Early years James was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. His grandpa was Serbian. He got his break opening for Stevie Ray V ...

, Kingpins, Konflit Dramatik,

Corb Lund Corb Lund is a Canadian country and western singer-songwriter from Taber, Alberta, Canada. He has released eleven albums, three of which are certified gold. Lund tours regularly in Canada, the United States and Australia, and has received several ...

Kate Maki Kate Maki is a Canadian singer-songwriter.
. ''

, Matapat, Mondo Idols, Ox,

Pilate Pontius Pilate (; grc-gre, Πόντιος Πιλᾶτος, ) was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official who presided over the trial of J ...

Andy Stochansky Andy Stochansky is a musician and songwriter from Toronto, living in Los Angeles. Early years Born and raised in Toronto, Stochansky began tinkering with the family piano at the age of five. To stop him from making music with anything he could ...

, Sweetwater,

The Wailin' Jennys The Wailin' Jennys are a Canadian music group. They have released several albums and received two Juno Awards. The group has been featured several times on the American Public Media program ''A Prairie Home Companion'' and their album ''Firecr ...

, Verge

2007

Ron Sexsmith Ronald Eldon Sexsmith (born January 8, 1964) is a Canadian singer-songwriter from St. Catharines, Ontario. He was the songwriter of the year at the 2005 Juno Awards. He began releasing recordings of his own material in 1985 at age 21, and has ...

Leahy Leahy is a Canadian folk music group. The eight band members, all from the Leahy family of 11 siblings, are from Lakefield, Ontario and have been touring Canada and internationally since the early 1980s, when they were known as The Leahy Family ...

Blackie and the Rodeo Kings Blackie and the Rodeo Kings are a Canadian folk rock– alternative country band with blues and country influences. The band was formed in 1996, in Hamilton, Ontario, by Tom Wilson, Stephen Fearing, and Colin Linden. Career Early Period: 19 ...

Peter Case Peter Case (born April 5, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. His career is wide-ranging, from rock n' roll and blues, to folk rock and solo acoustic performance. Biography Early career Case was born in Buffalo, New York, B ...

Les Breastfeeders Les Breastfeeders are a Canadian francophone rock 'n' roll band from Montreal, Quebec.Oh Susanna "Oh! Susanna" is a minstrel song by Stephen Foster (1826–1864), first published in 1848. It is among the most popular American songs ever written. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time ...

Peter Elkas Peter Elkas (born July 24, 1976) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, signed to MapleMusic Recordings. Born in Montreal, Quebec, Elkas spent twelve years as part of the Montreal band Local Rabbits, with whom he started playing as a teenager. He rel ...

, Ox,

Kim Barlow Kim Barlow (born March 10, 1969) is a Canadian folk singer and musician. Biography Barlow was born in Montreal, Quebec, and raised in rural Nova Scotia, she is of Anglo-Quebecker descent. She studied classical guitar at Florida State University ...

, Torngat

2008

Kate Maki Kate Maki is a Canadian singer-songwriter.
. ''

Old Man Luedecke Old Man Luedecke is the recording name of two-time Juno Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter and banjo player Chris Luedecke of Chester, Nova Scotia. He is most noted as a two-time Juno Award winner for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year ...

, Nathan Lawr,

Two Hours Traffic Two Hours Traffic was a Canadian indie rock band, based in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. They are named after a line in the prologue to Shakespeare’s ''Romeo and Juliet''. Critics have drawn comparisons to 1970s power pop band Big Star ( ...

Daniel Bélanger Daniel Bélanger (born December 26, 1961) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. His music is eclectic, inspired by alternative rock, folk and electronic music, sometimes humorous, sometimes wistful. Biography In middle 1983, he founded the band Hu ...

Ian Tamblyn Ian Tamblyn (born December 2, 1947) is a Canadian folk music singer-songwriter and record producer, adventurer and playwright. Early life Tamblyn was born and raised in Fort William (now Thunder Bay), Ontario, and studied at Trent University, g ...

David Francey David Francey (born 1954) is a Canadian folk singer-songwriter. He is the recipient of three Juno Awards and three Canadian Folk Music Awards. Early life Francey was born in Ayrshire, Scotland. He immigrated to Canada with his family at age 12. ...

Miracle Fortress Miracle Fortress is a Canadian indie rock band based in Montreal, Quebec. The band's studio work is primarily a solo, project of songwriter Graham Van Pelt, who is accompanied by the rest of the band during live shows. Band history Van Pelt, a m ...

The Sadies The Sadies are a Canadian rock and roll / country and western band from Toronto, Ontario. The band consists of Dallas Good, Travis Good, Sean Dean and Mike Belitsky. Dallas and Travis are the sons of Margaret and Bruce Good, and nephews of Bria ...

Don McLean Donald McLean III (born October 2, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for his 1971 hit song " American Pie", an eight-and-a-half-minute folk rock "cultural touchstone" about the loss of innocence of the early ...

2009

Serena Ryder Serena most commonly refers to: * Serena Williams (born 1981), professional tennis player Serena may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Serena (genre), 13th-century Occitan poetic genre * ''Serena'' (1962 film), a British crime t ...

Joel Plaskett William Joel MacDonald Plaskett (born April 18, 1975) is a Canadian rock musician and songwriter based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was a member of Halifax alternative rock band Thrush Hermit in the 1990s. Plaskett performs in a number of genres ...

Jenn Grant Jenn Grant (born August 20, 1980) is a Canadian folk pop singer-songwriter based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Career ''Jenn Grant and Goodbye Twentieth Century'' She performed as a musician for a time in her early teens, but stopped due to a bo ...

, Bob Snider, Angie Nussey, Stéphane Paquette, J. P. Cormier,

Norman Foote Norman Mervyn Barrington-Foote is a Canadian musician, songwriter, and comedian. Foote is originally from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He has been nominated for four Juno Awards for Best Children's Album in 1990, 1993, 2001, and won in 2010 ...

, Mr. Something Something

2011

Broken Social Scene Broken Social Scene is a Canadians, Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed by Kevin Drew (vocals, guitar) and Brendan Canning (vocals, bass) in 1999. Alongside Drew and Cannin ...

The Weakerthans The Weakerthans are an award-winning and Juno-nominated Canadian indie rock band from Winnipeg. The band, led by John K. Samson, has released four studio albums and is currently inactive. History The band was formed in 1997 in Winnipeg, Manit ...

, Lunch At Allen's,

Ron Hynes Ron Hynes (December 7, 1950 – November 19, 2015) was a folk singer-songwriter from Newfoundland and Labrador. He was especially known for his composition "Sonny's Dream", which has been recorded worldwide by many artists and was named the 41st ...

, J. P. Cormier, Ladies of the Canyon

2012

Daniel Lanois Daniel Roland Lanois ( , ; born September 19, 1951) is a Canadian record producer, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. He has produced albums by artists including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, Robbie Robertson, Emmylou Harris, Willie ...

Steven Page Steven Jay Page (born June 22, 1970) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was a founding member, lead singer, guitarist, and a primary songwriter of the music group Barenaked Ladies. Page left the band in Februar ...

The Good Lovelies The Good Lovelies are a Canadian folk/country harmony trio, consisting of Caroline Brooks, Kerri Ough and Sue Passmore. At their core they can be described as a country/folk trio, with tinges of pop, roots, jazz and sometimes hip-hop mixed in. His ...

The Hidden Cameras The Hidden Cameras are a Canadian indie pop band. Fronted by singer-songwriter Joel Gibb, the band consists of a varying roster of musicians who play what Gibb once described as "gay church folk music". Their live performances have been elaborate ...

2013

Kathleen Edwards Kathleen Edwards (born July 11, 1978
) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician. Her 2002 debut album, ''

Buck 65 Richard Terfry (born March 4, 1972), better known by his stage name Buck 65, is a Canadian alternative hip hop artist. Underpinned by an extensive background in abstract hip hop, his more recent music has extensively incorporated blues, country, ...

Lynn Miles Lynn may refer to: People and fictional characters * Lynn (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Lynn (surname) * The Lynns, a 1990s American country music duo consisting of twin sisters Peggy and Patsy Lynn * Lynn (v ...

Caracol Caracol is a large ancient Maya archaeological site, located in what is now the Cayo District, of Belize. It is situated approximately south of Xunantunich, and the town of San Ignacio, and from the Macal River. It rests on the Vaca Plateau ...

, Elisapie, Swamperella,

Cindy Cook Cindy Cook is a Canadian children's entertainer. A graduate of York University's theatre program (1979), she was hired as a host on the long-running children's series '' Polka Dot Door'' in 1981. Cindy became the longest-serving ''female'' host ...

2014

Amélie, Annie Lou, Bustamento,

, Lemon Bucket Orkestra,

Melbourne Ska Orchestra Melbourne Ska Orchestra are an ARIA Award-winning Australian ska band formed in 2003 in Melbourne. The group has up to 34 members, and is led by bandleader Nicky Bomba, formerly of the John Butler Trio. The band are signed to FOUR FOUR, an impr ...

, Barry Miles, Stéphane Paquette, Red Moon Road, Crystal Shawanda,

The Strumbellas The Strumbellas are a rock band from Lindsay, Ontario, whose music has been described as alternative country, indie rock, farm emo, and gothic folk.

Tokyo Police Club Tokyo Police Club is an indie rock band from Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 2005, it consists of vocalist and bassist Dave Monks, keyboardist Graham Wright, guitarist Josh Hook, and drummer Greg Alsop. The band found early success with the ...

Wintersleep Wintersleep is a Canadian indie rock band formed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2001.Heidi Ulrichsen"Wintersleep offers 'sneak peeks' of new album at Boreal" ''Sudbury Star'', June 30, 2014. The band's original lineup consisted of vocalist and gui ...

2015

Fanny Bloom, Big Tobacco & The Pickers, Billy John & The Irish Wake, The Bombadils, Duncan Cameron, Cello Tales, J. P. Cormier,

Quique Escamilla Quique Escamilla (born December 18, 1980) is a Mexican Mayan-Zapotec born and raised in Chiapas. He is a multi-instrumentalist musician, singer-songwriter, producer, who won the Juno Award for World Music Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of ...

, Five Alarm Funk,

Sarah Harmer Sarah Harmer (born November 12, 1970) is a Canadian singer, songwriter and environmental activist. Early life Born and raised in Burlington, Ontario, Harmer gained her first exposure to the musician's lifestyle as a teenager, when her older sis ...

, Hello Holiday, House of David Gang, Jayme Stone's Lomax Project,

Kobo Town Kobo Town is a Juno-winning Canadian Caribbean music group, led by Trinidadian Canadian singer and songwriter Drew Gonsalves. Based in Toronto, Ontario, the band blends calypso music with a diverse mix of Caribbean and other musical influences, inc ...

Lee Harvey Osmond Lee Harvey Osmond, stylized as LeE HARVeY OsMOND, is a Canadian psychedelic folk project fronted by musician Tom Wilson. History The act first took shape with Wilson in his LeE HARVeY OsMOND persona, backed by Michael Timmins of Cowboy Junkie ...

Dan Mangan Daniel Mangan (born April 28, 1983) is a Canadian musician. He has won two Juno awards and has toured extensively throughout North America, Europe and Australia, having released 5 studio LPs and numerous EPs and singles. He has scored for featur ...

, Mimi O'Bonsawin, Lisa Marie Naponse, Le Paysagiste, Pistol George Warren, Les Poules à Colin,

Adonis Puentes Adonis Puentes (born 1974) is a Cuban-Canadian singer-songwriter who sings in Spanish and English.

Reuben and the Dark Reuben and the Dark are a Canadian indie folk band from Calgary, Alberta. Led by singer and songwriter Reuben Bullock,Ben Sures Ben Sures (born December 29, 1967) is a Canadian roots musician who was a contributor to CBC Radio's ''The Irrelevant Show''. He is the son of Order of Canada-winning ceramic artist Jack Sures and painter and illustrator Deborah Uman-Sures. A most ...

, Tuba Boy, The Wild Geese

2016

Afrikelektro, The Amazing René,

Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...

, Mélanie Brulée, Collective Roots,

Digging Roots Digging Roots is a Canadian musical group consisting of husband and wife duo Raven Kanatakta and ShoShona Kish, whose musical style blends folk-rock, pop, blues, and hip hop.while Raven was awarded the Cobalt Award at the 2016 Maple Blues Awards. ...

, Brian Dunn, Paul Dunn, Fagroongala, Martine Fortin, Matt Foy, Anique Granger, Gypsy Kumbia Orchestra, Jennifer Holub, Les Hotêsses d’Hilaire, Hugh Jazz, François Lemieux, A. David MacKinnon,

and Donnell Leahy,

Kate Maki Kate Maki is a Canadian singer-songwriter.
. ''

, Mandala, Minotaurs, Murder Murder, Orkestar Kriminal,

, Pretty Archie, Chuck Roberts, Sheesham & Lotus & Son,

Frederick Squire Frederick Squire is a Canadian rock singer, songwriter and guitarist. Originally from Ajax, Ontario, he is based in Sudbury following a number of years living in Sackville, New Brunswick.La Bronze, Christian Cirelli, Dr. Tom's Travelling Medicine Show, M. D. Dunn, Ever-Lovin' Jug Band, Les Frérots Rochers, Stephanie Fyfe, Emmanuel Gasser, Louis-Philippe Gingras, Sarah King Gold, Nico Glaude,

Joy Harjo Joy Harjo ( ; born May 9, 1951) is an American poet, musician, playwright, and author. She served as the 23rd United States Poet Laureate, the first Native American to hold that honor. She was also only the second Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetr ...

, Hidden Roots Collective,

The Jerry Cans The Jerry Cans ( iu, ᐸᐃ ᒑᓚᖃᐅᑎᒃᑯᑦ, ''Pai Gaalaqautikkut'') are a band from Iqaluit, Nunavut who combine traditional Inuit throat singing with folk music and country rock. Their music is largely written in Inuktitut, the ...

, Jonathan Byrd and the Pickup Cowboys,

Bryden Gwiss Kiwenzie Bryden Gwiss Kiwenzie is a Canadian musician whose debut album ''Round Dance & Beats (Powwow)'' was a shortlisted nominee for both the Juno Award for Indigenous Music Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2017

, Mclean, Miss Sassoeur & Les Sassys, Mob Bounce, Music by Jake, No Reservations,

Fred Penner Frederick Ralph Cornelius Penner (born November 6, 1946) is a Canadian children's entertainer and musician known for the song "The Cat Came Back" and his television series, '' Fred Penner's Place'', which aired on CBC in Canada from 1985 to 199 ...

, Dale Pepin, Plugged Nickel String Band, Quantum Tangle, Rabbit and Bear Paws, Jenny Ritter, Don Ross,

Buffy Sainte-Marie Buffy Sainte-Marie, (born Beverly Sainte-Marie, February 20, 1941) is an Indigenous Canadian-American (Piapot Cree Nation) singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. While working in these are ...

, Samantha Martin and Delta Sugar,

Andy Shauf Andy Shauf is a Canadian singer-songwriter from Regina, Saskatchewan. He plays several instruments, including clarinet.Carla Gillis"Andy Shauf moves to Toronto" ''Now'', 15 November 2016. Early life Shauf was born in Estevan, Saskatchewan, gr ...

, Nick Sherman, Ansley Simpson,

Rae Spoon Rae Spoon is a Canadian musician and writer. Their musical style has varied from country to electronic-influenced indie rock and folk punk.Shotgun Jimmie Shotgun Jimmie is the stage name of Jim Kilpatrick, a Canadian singer-songwriter.

, Annie Sumi,

Leonard Sumner Leonard Sumner is an Anishinaabe singer-songwriter from Canada, whose music blends aspects of country, folk and hip hop music.A Tribe Called Red, Tuns, The Turbans,

Whitehorse Whitehorse () is the capital of Yukon, and the largest city in Northern Canada. It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1426 (Historic Mile 918) on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas ...

, Clayton Windatt,

Yukon Blonde Yukon Blonde is a Canadian indie rock band originally from Kelowna, British Columbia.Derdeyn, Stuart (April 22, 2010).Yukon Blonde feels the love: Indie band adding plenty of fans on cross-country tour", ''Ottawa Citizen''. Retrieved May 5, 2010. ...

2018

Afrikana Soul Sister, Afro Madness Drum Troupe,

Alvvays Alvvays (pronounced "always") is a Canadian indie pop band formed in 2011, originating from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and currently based in Toronto, Ontario. It consists of Molly Rankin (vocals and guitar), Kerri MacLellan (keyboard ...

, Andrew Queen and the Campfire Crew,

Arkells Arkells is a Canadian rock band, formed in Hamilton, Ontario. In 2006, they signed with Dine Alone Records, and have since signed with Universal Records Canada and Last Gang Records. They are managed by Last Gang Management. They have released s ...

, C.R. Avery, Les Barricades, BBBRTHR, Seth Bernard, Binaeshee-Quae, Black Bull Moose Singers, Bonsa, Aleksi Campagne, Canailles, Casper Skulls, David Cordero, Aron d'Alesio,

Russell deCarle Prairie Oyster was a Canadian country music group from Toronto, Ontario. They were named Country Group or Duo of the year six times by both the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) and the Juno Awards. The band also won the Bud Country Fa ...

, Les Deuxluxes, Cécile Doo-Kingué, Matt Foy, Frank Deresti and the Lake Effect, Fresh Kils & Vekked, Jane's Party,

Connie Kaldor Connie Isabelle Kaldor, (born 9 May 1953) is a Canadian folk singer-songwriter. She is the recipient of three Juno awards. Early life and education Kaldor was born in Regina, Saskatchewan. She graduated from Campbell Collegiate in Regina in 1972 ...

, Doctor Nativo, Guitars Alive Quartet, Hellnback, Richard Inman, Iskwé, JoPo and the Rize, Julie and the Wrong Guys, King Abid, Kira May, The Keyframes, Édouard Landry,

Abigail Lapell Abigail Lapell is a Canadian folk singer-songwriter, who won the Canadian Folk Music Award for Contemporary Album of the Year at the 13th Canadian Folk Music Awards in 2017 for her album ''Hide Nor Hair'' and again for English Songwriter of the Ye ...

Lisa Leblanc Lisa LeBlanc (born August 13, 1990), is a Canadian singer-songwriter and banjoist, known for her enthusiastic "trash folk" performances. Early life LeBlanc was born in Rosaireville, New Brunswick. She is of Acadian heritage, and comes from a f ...

, Paul Loewenberg and Richard Mende, Pat Maloney, Mama's Broke, Rodney Meilleur, Mickey O'Brien, Murder Murder, NiLLa & Ghettosocks, Orlando Julius and Afrosoundz,

and

Bill Plaskett Bill Plaskett is a British-Canadian folk, rock, Jazz and indie rock musician, best known as a founder of the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. He is the father of Canadian folk rock musician and JUNO award winner Joel P ...

, Donné Roberts,

Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet are a Juno Award-winning Canadian instrumental rock band, formed in 1984. They remain best known for the track "Having an Average Weekend", of which an alternate version was used as the theme to the Canadian sketc ...

, Sheesham & Lotus & Son, Sulfur City, Team T&J, Mara Tremblay, Laetitia Zonzambé

2019

The Almighty Rhombus,

Bedouin Soundclash Bedouin Soundclash is a Canadian band based in Toronto and consisting of vocalist and guitarist Jay Malinowski, bass player Eon Sinclair and drummer Chuck Treece. Their sound has been described as a combination of reggae and ska. Bedouin Soundcla ...

Boogat Boogat is a Canadian- Mexican musician from Quebec City, Quebec, ...

Kevin Breit Kevin Breit is a Canadian musician from Northern Canada. Breit has collaborated in numerous bands, and recorded solo albums on his own Poverty Playlist label, and Stony Plain Records. He is also well known for session work on numerous Grammy awa ...

, Brooke Bruce, Basia Bulat, The Burning Hell, Duncan Cameron, Eric Clancy,

, Jean-Paul De Roover, Cris Derksen,

and Tif Ginn, ECHLO, Nick Ferrio, Eva Foote,

Half Moon Run Half Moon Run is a Canadian indie rock band based in Montreal, Quebec. The group is known for their heavy use of layered percussion, group vocal harmonies, and for playing multiple instruments during live performances. Career 2009–2013: Forma ...

Haviah Mighty Haviah Mighty (born December 17, 1992) is a Canadian rapper from Brampton, Ontario. She rose to prominence in 2016 as a member of the hip hop group the Sorority, before releasing several EPs on her own, most notably ''Flower City'', in 2017. He ...

, Jennifer Holub, Jane's Party, Jennis,

K'naan Keinan Abdi Warsame (born 1 February 1978) ( so, Keynaan Cabdi Warsame, ar, كَينَان عَبدِ وَرسَمَ ''Kaynān ʿAbdi Warsama''), better known by his stage name K'naan (), is a Somali-Canadian musician. He rose to prominence ...

Mélissa Laveaux Mélissa Laveaux (born 9 January 1985) is an independent Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist of Haitian descent previously signed to No Format!. Her music has been described as a mix of roots, folk, and blues using her signature percussive f ...

, Céleste Lévis, Magoo, Mayhemingways, Rodney Meilleur, Hannah Shira Naiman,

Safia Nolin Safia Nolin is a French Canadian folk-pop singer-songwriter from Quebec City, Quebec.William Prince, Rayannah, Sam Roberts, Shaky Stars, Sheesham & Lotus & Son, Al Simmons, Ansley Simpson,

Leanne Betasamosake Simpson Leanne Betasamosake Simpson is a Mississauga Nishnaabeg writer, musician, and academic from Canada. She is the author of several books centering on Indigenous thought and practices in Canada and is known for her work with the 2012 Idle No Mor ...

Ben Sures Ben Sures (born December 29, 1967) is a Canadian roots musician who was a contributor to CBC Radio's ''The Irrelevant Show''. He is the son of Order of Canada-winning ceramic artist Jack Sures and painter and illustrator Deborah Uman-Sures. A most ...

, Trapment, David Dino White, Jojo Worthington,

Zeus Zeus or , , ; grc, Δῐός, ''Diós'', label=Genitive case, genitive Aeolic Greek, Boeotian Aeolic and Doric Greek#Laconian, Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label=Genitive case, genitive el, Δίας, ''D� ...

2022

a l l i e, Amandine et Rosalie, Balaklava Blues,

Begonia ''Begonia'' is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Begoniaceae. The genus contains more than 2,000 different plant species. The Begonias are native to moist subtropical and tropical climates. Some species are commonly grown ind ...

, Bombino,

Born Ruffians Born Ruffians are a Canadian indie rock band based in Toronto. Officially founded in 2004 in the Georgian Bay town of Midland, Ontario, the band is composed of frontman Luke Lalonde, bassist Mitch DeRosier, and drummer Steve Hamelin. During the ...

, Casper Skulls, Cassidy Houston, Celeigh Cardinal, Clay and Friends, David Laronde, Gurpreet Chana, Harvey King & The Grindstone, Hezekiah Procter & The Hash House Serenaders,

Judy Collins Judith Marjorie Collins (born May 1, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and musician with a career spanning seven decades. An Academy Award-nominated documentary director and a Grammy Award-winning recording artist, she is known for her ec ...

, Julie Katrinette, Lemon Bucket Orkestra, Lex Leosis, Leyla McCalla,

Lillian Allen Lillian Allen (born 5 April 1951) is a Canadian dub poet, reggae musician, writer and Juno Award winner. Biography Born in Spanish Town, Jamaica, she left that country in 1969, first moving to New York City, where she studied English at the Ci ...

, Myka 9, Paul Collins’ Beat, Rabbit & Bear Paws,

, Sharon & Randi, Spencer Burton, St. Paul & The Broken Bones,

The New Pornographers The New Pornographers are a Canadian indie rock band, formed in 1997 in Vancouver. Presented as a musical collective of singer-songwriters and musicians from multiple projects, the band has released eight studio albums to critical acclaim for th ...

The Weather Station The Weather Station is a Canadian folk music band fronted by Tamara Lindeman, formed in 2006. The band membership has changed over the years, and as of 2022 includes Lindeman (lead vocals, piano), Ben Whiteley (bass), Johnny Spence (keyboards), ...

Wax Mannequin Wax Mannequin is the stage name of Chris Adeney,"The Joy ...

, Zal Sissokho

References

External links

Northern Lights Festival Boréal
official website {{DEFAULTSORT:Northern Lights Festival Boreal Music festivals in Ontario Festivals in Greater Sudbury Folk festivals in Canada Music festivals established in 1972 Rock festivals in Canada

History

Awards

Performers

1980

1983

1990

1995

1997

1998

1999

2000

2004

2007

2008

2009

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2018

2019

2022

See also

References

External links