First Light

Canada is a country of pet lovers—over 77% of households in Canada have at least one furry or feathery friend. As the most popular pets, dogs and cats top the list (roughly 16 million in Canada), but birds, fish, frogs, rats, snakes, hamsters, guinea pigs, and turtles are common too. While pets are big business in Canada, worth about $7 billion annually, our relationship with animals is primarily for companionship. Pets enrich our lives, providing emotional support and boosting our empathy, self-confidence, and mental health. Pets can also support our physical health. Dogs have ample experience keeping us active: they've been human companions for 15,000 years. Cat owners will not be surprised to learn that felines can reduce stress levels and lower blood pressure. https://firstlight.com/galleries/en/pets-in-canada

Coast to coast, Canada is a country with breathtaking natural beauty. With something for every nature lover, explorer and adventurer, Canada overflows with unspoiled nature scenery: mountains, prairies, vineyards, valleys, rainforest and ravines.
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Image: Beauty in Nature, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada, 33294203 © Carson Ganci / First Light

Aurora borealis is one of nature’s most amazing lightshows and the apex of sky-watching. It’s a bucket-list experience with a huge impact on tourism in regions around the Arctic Circle. It doesn't have to be cold, just dark and clear. The season in the northern latitudes runs August until April. https://buff.ly/3g5BnTd

Image: Aurora Borealis Or Northern Lights Over Lodge, Manitoba, 2057248 © Robert Postma / First Light

Melody Davis is a commercial and lifestyle photographer based out of Vancouver, Canada. Melody has a charming collection of slice-of-life images and family and wedding photography liberally sprinkled with stylish retro shoots and unique tilt-shift images.
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Image: Proud Father Embracing Daughters On Beach; British Columbia, Canada, 2355716 © Melody Davis / First Light

Most farms in Canada are owned and operated by families and come in all shapes and sizes, from small operations suitable for supplying a the local area with niche produce to thousand-acre farms with grazing animals. From coast to coast, Canadian farmers feed Canadians and the world with bison, blueberries, flax, canola, mustard and more. https://buff.ly/3O8GrDY

Image: Red barn in the Alberta prairies, 12576322 © Keith Levit / First Light

Did you know we have rainforests in Canada? We call them temperate rainforests, because we’re not close to the equator, but they still receive at least 250 cm of precipitation each year as rain, snow, mist or drizzle. Home to a huge biomass of plants and animals, tall trees covered in wet moss, huge ferns and lush green plants along the forest floor are all typical of rainforests in Canada.
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Image: Moss-covered trees in a rainforest, 12543492 © Robert Postma / First Light

Robert Postma is a Canadian-born and internationally renowned master landscape, wildlife and abstract photographer. An award winning photographer, Robert is celebrated for creating spectacular shots of breathtaking environments and mesmerizing creatures. He periodically works on select outdoor and environmental commercial campaigns. https://www.firstlight.com/search/en/robert+postma

Image: Storm With Lightning Over The Frenchman River Valley, Grasslands National Park; Saskatchewan, Canada, 2373876 © Robert Postma / First Light

What's more Canadian than cottage season? We move mountains to create our perfect country retreat, whether a hidden cabin in the woods or an eco-lodge on one of Canada's many lakes or rivers. It's our secret oasis from the everyday. And then we do whatever it takes to head up to the cottage every weekend for some much needed R&R and, of course, cottage DIY. https://buff.ly/44Q1zFB

Image: Woman's Feet On Outdoors Rattan Furniture With Glass Of Iced Tea, 2324619 © Patrick La Roque / First Light

July is wildlife month! We share our planet with some incredible animals. From adorable pets and domesticated animals to wild creatures big and small, we have it all, produced by some of the best nature and wildlife photographers in the industry. New images are added every month. Looking for even more? Search "animals in the wild", "wildlife", or "animals or pets". https://buff.ly/3VNjjOi

Image: Pygmy Goat Enjoying The Sun, Birds Hill Provincial Park, Manitoba, 2046377 © Ken Gillespie / First Light

Canada's energy industry varies wildly, encompassing crude oil, refined petroleum, natural gas, electricity, uranium and hydrogen. Over 60% of Canada's electricity is generated from hydro sources. Canada's non-hydro renewable energy sector is estimated to grow by 83% by 2040. https://buff.ly/3S9Z8qO

To have a rainforest, you have to have precipitation—at least 250 cm of moisture annually—whether that's rain, sleet, snow, drizzle, mist or fog. Because Canada stretches from the Arctic Circle and the Tropic of Cancer, our rainforests are temperate, like those in New Zealand or Chile. Like all rainforests, those in Canada play in important role in biodiversity and species conservation. https://buff.ly/3eDfb2s

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