Visit the Brightest Light in Canada

Thank you for your interest in Canadian Light Source tours! The Canadian Light Source is the brightest light in Canada—millions of times brighter than even the sun—used by scientists to get incredibly detailed information about the structural and chemical properties of materials at the molecular level, with work ranging from mine tailing remediation to cancer research and cutting-edge materials development. During your visit, you can explore the full range of exciting science performed here every day.

Public tours (Advance registration required)

We offer free public tours on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 2:30 to 3:30 pm. To reserve a spot on a general public tour, please register below. To book a tour for a group of five or more people, see the bottom of this webpage. 

Visitor safety information 

Click below to view a pdf of our safety information, which must be read by all visitors.

Also, please note that we take photographs during tours, which may be used in an official capacity by the Canadian Light Source. Let us know if you would prefer not to have your photograph taken or published.

Parking

We have limited metered parking in front of our building (in blue on the map below). Alternate parking is available in lot #4 (in purple on the map) on the U of S campus. This is just west of our building and within walking distance. Parking for buses is not available on campus. Please ask the bus driver to drop off and pick up passengers at the curb in front of the CLS building. 

Special group tours (Advance registration required)

For groups of five (5) people and more, you can reserve a free, hour-long tour on a different day and time that works best for your group (subject to availability and during our business hours). To request a group tour, please fill out the form at the bottom of this webpage. Alternatively, you can email outreach@lightsource.ca.

We advise booking at least five (5) business days in advance of your desired time for all tours. Please allow up to two (2) business days for email confirmation of your booking.

Please note that while we try to accommodate all tours, tour availability is subject to student guides' schedules. For any questions, please call Outreach at 306-657-3644 or email us at outreach@lightsource.ca.