The Churchill River remains unfrozen due to the reoccurring southerly winds that have maneuvered the Hudson Bay pack ice in and out of the Churchill coast. This constant shifting at just the right times has left the Churchill River in a state of flux. Unfrozen water flows in and out of the mouth of the river, a not so unusual and the coast out at Cape Churchill, traditionally the final jump off location for polar bears, is still just scattered ice floes.
Churchill River still unfrozen. Alex De Vries – Magnifico photo.
Unfrozen Churchill River to date. Alex De Vries – Magnifico photo.
Even with the current ice conditions, the vast majority of polar bears in the area are floating on ice and hunting seals. Manitoba Conservation released all bears from the holding facility around the 25th of November and a few stragglers have been sighted around Churchill as evidenced by bear traps just outside some housing facilities.This is not completely uncommon for the odd bear to still be around though lack of consistent ice in the bay has enabled some bears to remain on land until the pack ice returns.
Bear trap outside of housing in Churchill. Heather Bekar photo.
This El Nino year has provided some unusual affects in Churchill. Before long the cold winter will set in and we all will be preparing for another phenomenal northern lights season beginning in late January. Stay tuned for the latest new from Churchill!
The Port of Churchill and the Hudson Bay Railway are being put up for sale by Denver based Omnitrax owned by the Broe Group. Both the Hudson Bay line from the Pas to Churchill and the port are being sold together as a package deal.
Prior to 1997 the Government of Canada owned the Port but then divested many of their crown holdings and sold the facility to US based Omnitrax. Because the Canadian National Railway had also been privatized, the line between Churchill and the Pas was also sold to the company.
While the sale announcement has been kept low key the news is now out and potential suitors have yet to come forward.
After anticipating a surge in shipping from the port, years of average growth and a decline this year in the grain shipping out of Churchill have lead management to search for new product avenues. Recent attempts to initiate oil shipments from the sub – Arctic port were quashed by public outcry amid fears of potential environmental destruction in the case of a spill. Protesters fear an oil spill in the Hudson Bay would cause irreversible damage to the fragile northern ecosystem that, among other wildlife, is home to the mighty polar bear.
It will be very interesting to see who steps forward as a potential buyer and what plans are put forth for the port and the Hudson Bay Line. The challenge is huge.
“Obviously, after a tough year in the industry we’ve looked at a lot of things and concluded that either the railway and the port needs more support or perhaps another owner or operator could take it on and see what they could do,” say Merv Tweed, president of OmniTrax Canada. “It is obviously a big challenge, but we feel we’ve put the port and railroad in decent shape over the last couple of years. We’ve brought in a lot of efficiencies, but it is a challenge.”
Some rare footage of a polar bear hunting seals on the ice. This video is from the far northern Arctic as you can see by the mountains portrayed. Polar bears display incredible patience while hunting seals on the pack ice. Some researchers have documented the bears covering their black noses with their paws to avoid detection as they lay patiently on the ice near a seal blow hole or den. Because the seal – kill incidents are very infrequent it’s particularly difficult to capture these interactions on film. This one is pretty cool!
This snowy owl shot by Katie de Meulles in Churchill was one of the many sightings of this magnificent bird over the course of polar bear season. This one really is amazing!
Snowy owl perched on a rock in Churchill. Katie de Meulles photo.
Some really amazing photos from Churchill photographer Katie de Meulles. The photography from Churchill and polar bear season has been the best in years with varied subjects from the tundra. With another season in the books before we know it northern lights season will be going strong…seems like it just ended. Enjoy these shots from polar bear season!
View through town of Churchill.Katie de Meulles.
Polar bear family on the tundra. Katie de Meulles photo.
Sunset and polar bears. Katie de Meulles photo.
Polar bears in the snow in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area. Katie de Meulles photo.
