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Scanning the night sky from Point Pelee National Park is like going back in time.

“Every time I go it’s more like you go back to the primitiveness of the park, the way it was before it was even a park,” said Mike Mastronardi, president of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada — Windsor Centre.

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Point Pelee National Park, known for being Canada’s southernmost tip and its spring bird migration, is building its reputation for darkness. It was the first national park designated as a dark sky preserve in 2006. There are now 12 in Canada.

“Point Pelee at nighttime is completely different than in the daytime in terms of how you experience it and the sights and sounds you hear,” Mastronardi said.

The rustling of the leaves and branches. The waves crashing against the beach. The howl of a coyote. The stars.

It’s the best spot in Windsor-Essex to get away from the glow of city lights and even greenhouse lights and experience what Parks Canada pitches as its celestial landscape, he said.