Churchill, known as the “Polar Bear Capital of the World”, is situated on the west coast of Hudson Bay in northern Manitoba, Canada. While it is best known for the many polar bears that transit through the area in the Fall, it is also known as a beluga whale watching hotspot and an excellent place to see the northern lights.
"Polar Bear Capital of the World"
We staged through Churchill on the way to our polar bear adventure and ended up spending two guided afternoons in this northern town as we waited for our connecting flights. There are no roads leading to Churchill — it is only accessible by air or rail. It is also Canada’s only arctic seaport.
Steeped in history, indigenous cultures used the region as seasonal hunting grounds. In 1731 Fort Prince of Wales was constructed at the mouth of the Churchill River where is still stands as a National Historic Site.
Many of the town’s buildings are decorated with murals and artwork. Even the remains of the 1979 crash of Curtiss C-46 Command cargo aircraft (A.K.A. Miss Piggy) is decorated with murals.
Churchill is located on the polar bear’s natural migration path. In the Fall the bears move northward up the coast of Hudson Bay looking for the first ice to form so they can start hunting seals. Churchill has learned to co-exist with the bears and has a Polar Bear Alert Program that is designed to protect humans from bears and to also protect the bears themselves. Bears around the town are monitored and, if need be, trapped and then held in the Polar Bear Holding Facility (commonly known as the polar bear jail) until they can be relocated.
Churchill and its amazing wildlife viewing opportunities should rate high on any nature lover’s “To Do” list.
Comments