On May 28, 2008, Adam LeWinter and Director Jeff Orlowski filmed a historic breakup at the Ilulissat Glacier in Western Greenland. The calving event lasted for 75 minutes and the glacier retreated a full mile across a calving face three miles wide. The height of the ice is about 3,000 feet, 300-400 feet above water and the rest below water.
Chasing Ice won the award for Excellence in Cinematography at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and the Best Documentary from the International Press Association. It has won over 30 awards at festivals worldwide. Photographer James Balog traveled the world putting this film together. Try to watch in theaters or on video…quite an amazing film.
The annual Hudson Bay Quest will depart Churchill for Gillam on March 13, 2014. 17 mushers will compete for the title in this years race including five from Churchill,MB. Dave Daley, race organizer and Churchill native will draw first for his bib number and start position. This year’s race can be followed on trackleaders.com. If you have the urge to venture north and watch the race -start in person, Natural Habitat Adventures offers guided Northern lights tours at this time. An unforgettable experience.
Below is the up-to-date list of mushers ready to vie for the 2014 championship.
Churchill dogs running for the love of it. Photo Brad Josephs.
1. David Daley, Wapusk Adventures, Churchill, MB
2. Justin Allen, Wapusk Adventures, Churchill, MB
3. Dan DiMuzio, Sled Dog Energy, Churchill, MB
4. Jacob Heigers, isiBindi/Riverice, Whitehorse, YT
Travelmanitoba just released this trailer to get people excited about traveling to Churchill in the summer. I wish the trailer was longer..really well done. After spending a decade guiding summer adventures up north in Churchill there will always be a longing to return for the belugas as well as all the other sights and sounds of this special season. Natural Habitat runs amazing trips from Winnipeg north to Churchill. Many travel by train on the Hudson Bay Railroad...an adventure all its’ own. Come aboard this Arctic summer and see for yourself!
One of the most photogenic yet underrated Arctic animals is the Arctic fox. This svelt little bundle of energy was recorded out in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area earlier in the polar bear season by Natural Habitat guide Colby Brokvist…see, we don’t call it “Arctic fox season” ….These creatures are incredible to watch and photograph..enjoy!
Omintrax Canada’s plan to move a test shipment of Alberta crude oil through northern Manitoba to the Port of Churchill next month has been put on hold by Manitoba Transportation Minister Steve Ashton. It’s a harsh blow to the company’s hopes to move nearly 3.3 million barrels of crude through the port as early as next year.
Shipping oil over the Hudson Bay is a new avenue for growth harboring hopes to expand Churchill’s role as an Arctic gateway.
However, apparently Mr. Ashton is seeing beyond the potential economic benefits to the area and port itself and erring quite wisely on the side of caution on this issue. The Hudson Bay is an extremely sensitive ecosystem that also has current economic and life sustaining benefits to all the communities that reside on its’ fragile coastline. One tragic accident could destroy the Hudson Bay and all the creatures that rely on the body of water for life itself for decades to come. A comprehensive study and subsequent operating plan must be in place before one drop of oil is shipped via this new proposal. Currently some oil is shipped north on barges to sustain Nunuvut communities but in no comparison to the amounts being projected in this international endeavor.
Proponents of the plan stress that oil is already shipped all over the continent by rail, truck and pipeline, and far more dangerous goods have moved regularly on the line for decades. However, shipping over land is far less dangerous and risky than transporting over water…especially so for water that is regularly in the 42 degree F temperature range. Couple that with weather that is unpredictable and harsh much of the year and a clean-up mission in these conditions would be nearly impossible.
Mr. Ashton advised Omnitrax to “go back to the drawing board on this,” holding some hope for the company to be able to explore options in the future. In this case the risk of any oil being transported over the bay seems insurmountable.
The Wilderness Committee interpreted Mr. Ashton’s comments as a rejection of Omnitrax’s plans and issued a statement Friday congratulating the Selinger government for offering “exactly the response we were hoping for.” As far as they are concerned, the plan is dead.
Lac-Megantic burning on the first day after the rail car derailment sent fireballs and streams of burning oil coursing through the Quebec village. (Photo: Surete du Quebec)
Omnitrax is convinced its’ northern rail lines don’t need upgrades to carry oil and the idea of shipping the liquid across the tundra is safe. This opinion flies directly in the face of the numerous grain car derailments that have occurred over the past two decades on those exact lines…at least the birds and some other animals can eat grain when it spills. Although federal approval for the rail shipping plan is required since railways are federally regulated, provincial opposition could be a barrier for such approval.
Churchill’s prime polar bear season is “barely” a month away and polar bears are already congregating in the region around this hearty frontier town on the rocky shores of the Hudson Bay. Here are some recent photo’s from Churchillian Jodi Grosbrink…soon the landscape will take on a quite different look. Winter is lurking to the north. Keep up with all the action in and around Churchill this October/November with our daily postings from the area. Natural Habitat Adventures guides will be supplying fresh video of amazing polar bear behavior as well as other incredible scenes from the north. Should be another exciting season!
