Summer in Churchill has officially begun as a group of travelers from Natural Habitat Adventures led by Guide Sue Zajac waded into the Hudson Bay off the beach behind the town complex just in the shadows of the giant stone inukshuk. The “water is warm” reports Sue as the weather has been balmy with temperatures in the eighties. The shallow water along shore has absorbed that heat for the time being.
Traveling along the northern train route through boreal forest, taiga and tundra the group disembarked in Wabowden while the train continued to Thompson for a four hour wait. Ongoing work along the tracks near Thompson is a good sign for continued running of the Hudson bay line. While on a coach tour of the surrounding area, travelers viewed a mature bald eagle fly under the bridge and land in a black spruce on a tiny island in Sasakew rapids. The excellent bird spotting site provides varied species just off the main highway up to Thompson. Bunchberry is in bloom here and near Pisew falls while the red breasted merganser ducks circled in the eddies amongst the little isles that spot the water.
Arriving in Churchill around noon..just a few hours late..not bad givin the high temperatures and how they tend to wreak havoc on railroad iron. In town the rain made it tough to get on the water to get up close with beluga whales. However, the group finally made it out in zodiacs and found whales chasing a early season capelin run. Capelin are smelt – sized fish that spawn this time of year and are a staple for belugas. Whales follow these fish for extended periods while they zig- zag across the Churchill River. Pods of whales seem disinterested in any humans in boats while feeding though still are majestic to watch as they move through the dark steel water.
A busy third day of multiple trips out on the water brought a bonus for the patient travelers. As the group moved out into the Hudson bay along the spit of land that holds Fort Prince of Wales…Eskimo Point just to the North revealed two of the reported four polar bears resting. Another bear was seen swimming in the chop just off land heading back to the shallows. Truly an amazing sight which i have witnessed myself over the years. That image will stay with you forever!
A final day on the water was again rainy with a warm Southerly breeze. This day however provided beluga’s with choppy waters. Beluga’s, curious by nature, approached the zodiacs and followed the boats by the dozens…coming near enough for some passengers to touch their melons just under the water.The whales also provided some unusual episodes of shiny heads protruding from the water. This rougher water often will allow for that. All in all fantastic whale watching on a true arctic-like Summer day.
Excursions out to the tundra provided some birding sightings that happened to be life-listers for a couple of folks. A pine grosbeak and common redpole earned the checks ….And later in the trip, the group headed out via rover and had a bbq on the land. A curious caribou crossed right through the trail before heading out East. A northern harrier, great blue herron and many yellow warblers flitting in and out of the willows capped off a marvelous afternoon.
June in Churchill is for the birds…..and bird watchers of course. Wildlife guide and ornithologist Bonnie Chartier wrote the book on the birds of Churchill..seriously…she really did. The Birds of Churchill, currently out of print, was a collective of Bonnie’s years and years of dedication studying all the birds that come and go throughout the year in Churchill,MB.
I’ve worked with Bonnie for over ten years guiding Summer and Fall trips in Churchill. Without a doubt, almost all the bird knowledge I’ve accumulated over the years, comes from my first hand experiences with Bonnie as my co-guide, mostly in the early Summer month of June. This month is migration month when countless species arrive in Churchill and nest or feed or both. Bonapart’s gulls, Arctic terns, sandpipers of different varieties, Jaegers, Sandhill cranes, and on and on and on….the search and discovery of these creatures provides an endless treasure hunt of sorts in the sub-Arctic landscape.
My favorite anecdotal story of Bonnie comes from from when we were guiding a summer contingent of Natural Habitat clients in Churchill and we pulled our mini bus filled with travelers up by the port to scan the beach along the Churchill River for Ross’ Gulls…the elusive and rare species that resides in Churchill in the Spring. There was another couple there with a spotting scope set up..real birders…and they had a copy of Bonnie’s book in hand. They started asking Bonnie questions regarding the gull but didn’t have the faintest idea that Bonnie was the author of the book. They had a little bit of an attitude…as birders do…until I brought to their attention who they were speaking with. The change in their faces was priceless as they fumbled for a pen to get bonnie to sign the book. We all had a good laugh.
Bonnie filed a report from Churchill this Spring as she was there doing some atlasing…or searching for breeding bird evidence. She reported, much to everyone’s delight..especially the birds, that plenty was apparent. A list of species she witnessed includes King Eider, Thayers Gull, California Gull, Iceland Gull, Glaucous Gull and Glaucous-winged Gull, Brown Thrasher, Trumpeter Swan. No report of the Ross’ Gull…but I’m sure many were searching ..book in hand.
Tundra flowers were just getting going as the month lenghtened and the beluga whales were coming into the Churchill River while the ice was flowing out. A picturesque scene I know very well….pure beauty.
Since Bonnie has left Churchill, the polar bears have come off the ice and some have migrated into the area. One bear has been shot for chasing a tourist who was out alone on the beach photographing. Bonnie’s brother Jack, a manitoba Conservation officer, was not happy with the “fool” for putting himself in that position and in the end causing the bear’s demise. The bear was about half the weight that it should have been…probably the reason it was seeking out some prey. I have said for years now that it’s only a matter of time before somebody uninformed on bear safety finds themself in a position of extreme danger. This one was close and I’m sure not the last. At any rate this kind of human behavior will certainly put the animal in danger. Too many people come to Churchill on their own and don’t know basic background information needed to be wandering around on the outskirts of town or in and around rocky beaches. This time of year can be more dangerous than the fall since only a few bears seem to be lurking…people get complacent.
Finally,the roof of the Lazy Bear Lodge blew off in a Spring windstorm and about 150 people came out to help get the large hole covered. All of the firemen and many Churchillians pitched in to get the inn back up and going. Living in a small tight-knit community really brings people to your door..er roof…in times of need.
Always interesting up there it seems. Rumor has it that someone saw old Reverend Lofthouse lending a hand as well!
As the canadian government contemplates the future of the canadian Wheat Board (CWB) and thus the future of the port of Churchill, another icon of the Northern frontier is at risk as well. In earlier reports I reported the attempts of the conservative goverment to dissolve the regulated CWB and allow grain farmers from across the praries of Canada to openly choose their preferred deep – water port to ship their products to the rest of the world. Currently, Churchill processes a huge amount of that product with more than 90% of their business deriving from CWB partners. If this agency is dissolved, many grain and wheat farmers will most likely choose other venues of distribution such as Vancouver, BC and Thunder Bay, Ontario. An open market in this case will prove crippling for Churchill’s port operation and 200 jobs could be lost. Another 600 or so jobs most likely will vanish as well across the tundra south all the way to Winnipeg where the CWB is based.
Aside from the jobs lost in railroad towns such as Gillam,Thompson and the Pas, the very lifeline of rails itself may suffer to the point of shut-down. The rail line operated by VIA Rail of Canada, runs from Winnipeg to Churchill…its’ most Northerly point in the province. The 100 miles of track South of Churchill is maintained by the parent owners of the port of Churchill; Omnitrax out of Denver,CO. The company has spent some millions of dollars in recent years upgrading and maintaining the rails known as the Hudson Bay line in hopes to improve the grain transportation process from the South. The aging tracks have been plagued by the fluctuating tundra reacting to changes of seasons and more aptly temperatures. When the tundra thaws from the top down in warmer seasons, the rails tend to warp and bend slightly. When weathered box cars filled with tons of grain then put pressure on the rails, disaster is imminent. Reports of grain train derailments over the past decade are sketchy though I can personally attest to knowing first hand of at least five or more. While guiding Summer trips for Natural Habitat Adventures, our train excursion North from Winnipeg to Churchill was disrupted a few times. I heard of other occurences through my relationships with engineers and train employees as we passed time on the 36 hour plus trip. Engineers of both the grain and passenger trains were and still are givin strict “slow orders” in order to not place un-do pressure on the steel rails. These slow orders quite often turn the journey into a 40 hour or more adventure. Hey, what’s four more hours ..right?
The past few years have seen these happenings become more rare as the more Northerly tracks have been repaired and maintained. That realization brings me back to the point I alluded to in the headline for this story. If the grain goes away, will the Hudson Bay Line as well? Without the big business backing of Omnitrax maintaining those crucial and fragile last 100 miles or so of rail-line, running the train North may be impossible. Tourism traffic alone will not support the line all the way to Churchill. Finding answers from Via rail and Omnitrax may be a topic for an upcoming post. Keep your ear to the rail!
Churchill could possibly lose its’ economic bread and butter soon. The Canadian federal government seemingly is deciding to eliminate the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) as the restrictive structural decision making body for the Canadian wheat farmers. The current monopoly system mandated by the CWB forces prairie wheat farmers to sell the majority of their grain through the Port of Churchill. If the feds get their way, which they usually do, this could spell major changes for Churchill. Although the Conservative parliment has lacked the majority to pass the legislation since 2006, the new election could spell an end to that string.
Photo: Steve Selden
Nearly 90% of the grain shipped through the Churchill grain port comes from the CWB farmer alliance. The port processes enough grain products to employ 200 people throughout Summer and Fall in Churchill. If the CWB is vanquished, other sea ports such as Vancouver, BC and Thunder Bay, Ontario could become attractive to many wheat farmers across Canada. Jobs in Churchill will be severely affected as well as the Hudson bay railroad line into Churchill which doubles as both a passenger line and grain car transport line. Additionally, jobs associated with the rail line in Gillam, Thompson and the Pas may vanish also. And, several hundred Winnipeg jobs at the CWB and grain commission will be at risk as those offices face closure or relocation.
Churchill Mayor Mike Spence is fighting hard for the government to slow down the process and take a closer look at how Churchill and these other communities will be negatively affected by the decision. Spence is urging the feds to implement an economic impact statement…a study similar to an environmental impact statement. The latter would be required if , say, the polar bears in Churchill were threatened by human activity. In many ways, if this decision goes through, they just might be!
I’ve been invited out to the Watchee Lodge in the Wapusk National Park near Churchill for several years now. Unfortunately the trip has not happened for me so far though after seeing the attached video piece by ABC television I hope to venture out there sometime soon.
Without question February and March can be cold beyond cold on the open tundra in search for mother and cub polar bears.The thrill of seeing the first interactions between mom and her young cannot be matched. When the bears finally break out of their winter homes, a once in a lifetime experience ensues and photographers stand shivering to capture amazing shots.
As much as Watchee lodge presents rare opportunities, mostly for accomplished photographers, to view these animals in their natural habitat, there are ample chances for others to see sows and cubs throughout the year. They reappear around Churchill after they emerge from dens they head to the coast to hit the ice for seal-hunting school. These encounters as well as Summer encounters can happen but are somewhat rare. Fall is still the best time to view cubs of the year or coy’s as they are known as well as one and two year-old’s with mom.
Big sparring males in October and November surely thrill the crowds of travelers however a serene day watching interactions of sows with their young is soulful.
As the late Winter, otherwise known to most of us “Southern folk” as Spring, churns on in the Churchill region, a few more breaks in the ice, known as leads, appear. The temperatures have remained fairly steady the past week or so with minus 20’s C filling the air most days. Some scattered snow showers have kept the snow around the area looking fresh with a white top-coat.
The consistent cold bodes well for polar bears hoping for an extended season of seal-hunting on the Hudson Bay ice pack. With the late freeze -up last Fall, the ice still has some fragility despite the normal cold of this Winter. If the region were to receive an extended unusual thaw period, it could be devastating. The thaw coupled with heavy Northern winds allows for the propensity for ice break-up. Fortunately, it looks as if the season will continue without any risk of such early weakness in the surface ice. Consistent cold temperatures have allowed ice to continue forming throughout the season without interruption. We should see some healthy bears come Summer and into Fall. Can’t wait.
Winter in Churchill is a perfect time for the many local artists to work on their craft. Painters and stone carvers comprise the majority of local artisans, however technology has opened up a new door to artistic expression. Check out this animated video of Churchill by artist Kim Hunter. It portrays Churchill and the North in a refreshingly new way that anyone who has been fortunate enough to visit or live there would appreciate deeply.
