The Auroras are Canada’s annual national SF&F awards (roughly equivalent to the American Hugos).

On August 15th, 2020, Polar Borealis won the Aurora Award in the “Best Fan Writing and Publication” category.

A word of explanation. There is no “semi-professional” level recognized in the Auroras. Therefore a magazine like Polar Borealis, which is free to download, is automatically considered a “Fan publication.” However, since my contributors are paid for their stories and poems, their publication in Polar Borealis is recognized as a professional sale, which makes them eligible for the professional Aurora Awards “Best Short Story” and/or “Best Poem.” For example, Ottawa writer Matt Moore won an Aurora in 2018 for his poem “Heaven is the Hell of No Choices” which I published in Polar Borealis issue #4.

Winning an Aurora Award is a great honour. I am one very happy Publisher.