Stéphane Picard

With nearly 30 years of experience in marketing and advertising, Stéphane Picard combined his professional expertise with a lifelong passion for astronomy to found Cliff Valley Astronomy Corp. The company began with private stargazing experiences and has since evolved into a leader in astrotourism consulting, partnerships, and product development for the tourism industry.

Stéphane established Canada’s first Dark-sky Destinations Network (approximately 50 partners in four provinces) and is a frequent speaker at major industry events, including the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada’s 2025 General Assembly, the International Conference on Tourism Law & Sustainability in Brazil, and TIANB’s 40th Anniversary Summit.

Cliff Valley Astronomy has earned significant recognition, receiving both the 2025 Tourism Product Development Award and the 2024 Marketing Small Business Marketing Award from the Tourism Industry Association of NB (TIANB) and being named Best Astrotourism Travel & Events Company in North America (2025 and 2026 back-to-back wins) by LUXlife magazine. The corporation actively promotes dark-sky preservation and rural community development, aligned with innovative and exciting products and experiences that help operators and communities grow. Cliff Valley Astronomy has also formed strong ties and partnerships with many indigenous communities in New Brunswick and looks to establish more across the country.

The company has been featured in:

• National Geographic Explorer
• Forbes.com (3x)
• Space.com (5x)
• And many regional, national and international media outlets.

Cliff Valley Astronomy now counts partners and clients in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Alberta.

The company’s tagline embodies its mission: to make memories out of this world.