CHURCHILL
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1,000.
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211 Kelsey Blvd.
Tel: (204) 675 2022.
Located at the mouth of the Churchill River on Hudson Bay, the town retains the look of a basic pioneer town, with no luxury hotels, no paved roads, and few trees. This vast Arctic landscape is snow-free only from June through to the end of August. Churchill has no road access and can be reached only by plane or train from Winnipeg, Thompson, and The Pas. Despite its remote situation, Churchill was an important point of entry into Canada for early European explorers and fur traders arriving by boat in the 18th century. The Hudson’s Bay Company established an outpost for fur-trading here in 1717.
Today, visitors come to see the polar bears, beluga whales, and the splendid array of tundra flora in this region. In the spring and fall the tundra’s covering of moss, lichens, and tiny flowers bursts into an array of reds, violets, and yellows. In the summer beluga whales move upriver to the warmer waters and can be seen from boat trips or on scuba dives.
Known as the “Lord of the Arctic,” the magnificent polar bear can weigh as much as 650 kg (1,433 lb). In the fall the bears begin to congregate along the bay east of Churchill waiting for ice to form in order to hunt seals. Their acute sense of smell can detect a scent up to 32 km (20 miles) away and pick up the presence of seals under 1 m (3 ft) of snow and ice.
Up to 150 bears pass by and through Churchill during the season. The best way to view them is in a tundra buggy, a large buslike vehicle that is warm, safe, and elevated over 2 m (6.5 ft) from the ground.
Mother polar bear with cub
