by Steve Selden | Jun 3, 2014 | Tour News
The following article from CBC news describes the derailment situation near Churchill, MB.
Via Rail cancels trains to Churchill after derailment
Freight cars carrying grain derailed near northern Manitoba community, says OmniTrax Canada
CBC News Posted: Jun 03, 2014 10:04 AM CT Last Updated: Jun 03, 2014 2:12 PM CT
A derailed freight train has forced Via Rail to cancel its passenger trains between Winnipeg and Churchill until further notice.
OmniTrax Canada says 13 grain cars from a 50-car load derailed on the Hudson Bay Railway line, about 32 kilometres south of Churchill, at around 5 p.m. Monday.
At the time of the derailment, the train was heading to a grain storage facility at the Port of Churchill. No injuries were reported, according to OmniTrax.
“We take incidents like this very seriously. Our staff was onsite immediately to assess the incident and begin response procedures,” Sergio Sabatini, OmniTrax’s chief operating officer, said in a statement. (Read the full statement below)
“Our staff have started re-railing efforts and clean-up of minor spilled product to ensure the track is passable for freight and passenger traffic as soon as possible.”
Dozens of passengers affected
Via Rail spokesperson Mylène Bélanger said the derailment is making the track unusable.
About 22 Via Rail passengers heading to Churchill from Winnipeg were delayed in Thompson. They have since been flown to Churchill to complete
their trip.
Bélanger said 40 other passengers were scheduled to travel with Via Rail between Winnipeg and Churchill in the next week, and they’ve been given an opportunity to cancel their trips or change their dates.
“We’re really sorry for the inconvenience that this situation may cause, but it’s unfortunately impossible for us to operate our trains over this line until further notice,” she told CBC News on Tuesday.
Tony Dasilva, who owns Gypsy Bakery in Churchill, said he’s waiting for the train to deliver fresh produce he has ordered.
“When you live in a small town like Churchill … when you don’t hear the noise of the train coming in, we’re all looking and see what’s happening,” he said.
Dasilva said employees with rail transport company Omnitrax told him about the derailment when they stopped by his shop for coffee.
He said he may have to look at flying goods in if the rail line remains closed for more than three days.
OmniTrax says it may take a few days until service to Churchill and the port is fully restored.
Statement from OmniTrax
The following is a statement sent Tuesday by Sergio Sabatini, chief operating officer of OmniTrax:
At 17:00 on Monday, June 2, OmniTrax Canada staff were called to assess and respond to an incident on the HBR line, approximately 20 miles south of Churchill, Manitoba. Thirteen grain cars of a 50-car load derailed en route to the grain storage facility at the Port of Churchill. There were no injuries.
We take incidents like this very seriously. Our staff was on site immediately to assess the incident and begin response procedures. Our staff have started re-railing efforts and clean-up of minor spilled product to ensure the track is passable for freight and passenger traffic as soon as possible.
The safety of our crews and the protection of the products we transport is of the highest priority in these efforts. At this time we expect it may take a few days to restore full service to Churchill and the Port.
Statement from Via Rail
VIA Rail Canada (viarail.ca) wishes to inform its passengers that, for operational reasons, until further notice, trains #693 and #692 will not operate between Winnipeg and Churchill, except for train #692 that will operate between Thompson and The Pas on June 4th.
VIA Rail is communicating with customers who have reservations on the affected trains. We regret the inconvenience that this situation may cause. Customers wishing to cancel or change their date of travel may do so at no additional charge by calling 1 888 VIA-RAIL () or (hearing impaired).
by Steve Selden | May 19, 2014 | Churchill News
Churchill is warming up these days and soon the Arctic summer will be in full regalia. It is such a hopeful and vibrant time in the north as living things emerge from the bitter cold and snow cocoon. Sure, there will be days where the fierce north winds return with a vengeance of icy cold on its’ heals…but soon the summer will give all the locals the much needed peace of walking outside without ten pounds of extra coverings.
Here are some summer pics to get everyone in the spirit of the Arctic summer. Although it’s short, the days are cherished and deeply appreciated by Churchillians and travelers alike.
Beluga whale on the surface. Steve Selden photo.
Swans on a thermakarst in the Churchill Wildlife Management area. Ed Bouvier photo.
Trolling for beluga whales in the Churchill River.
Hudsonian godwit near the Churchill shore. Rhonda Reid photo.
Ed Bouvier photo.
Wild flowers and precambrian shield. Steve Selden photo.
by Steve Selden | May 11, 2014 | Tour News
With the northern summer approaching and fall polar bear season just on the other side, I wanted to share some of the classic photo’s from the archives.Those who make the trek to Churchill in the summer to see the amazing tundra with all its’ wildflowers and micro-environments, thousands of beluga whales, foxes, bears and incredible, diverse bird life. The calm serenity of the foggy, chilly summer makes the isolation in nature all the more healing to the soul. If you have the itch to head north this Summer or Fall, Natural Habitat Adventures has a custom trip for you.
Beluga whales in the clear, cold water of the mouth of the Churchill River. Photo Steve Selden
Summer contrasts the fall when Churchill bustles with action from all the businesses and workers catering to the travelers descending upon the frontier town with hopes of seeing the majestic interactions of the polar bears. Of course there are other sights to take in as well…foxes, Arctic hare, snowy owls and other raptors, the changing weather systems and possibly some aurora borealis displays. However, the main attraction in October and November is Ursus Maritimus…or the polar bear. Perhaps this is why the summer continues to be my personal favorite time to head north…the wide range of sights and discoveries one can find each day. Anyone that loves polar bears and their kingdom must come to the region when the bears are mostly out on the Hudson Bay ice to the north.
Curious polar bear checking out travelers.
Aurora borealis over the boreal forest in Churchill,MB. Brad Josephs photo.
Well built inukshuk and igloo in Churchill. Karen Walker photo.
A polar bear keeps a watchful eye from the shelter of willows.
Avid sled dogs in Churchill,MB. Brad Josephs photo.
A polar bear relaxes and cools in the snow. Colby Brokvist photo.
by Steve Selden | Apr 19, 2014 | Churchill News
The Hudson Bay is packed solid with thick ice and seems to be supporting a healthy seal-feeding season for polar bears. Extreme cold and stormy weather has been pervasive throughout the region this year and should lead to a extended hunting season for bears on the ice surface. Here is the link of the most recent Hudson Bay ice chart from Environment Canada Ice Survey.
Ice accumulating on the Hudson Bay. Karen Walker photo.
Polynas up in the Hudson Straits harbor herds of beluga whales waiting for ice to break up and allow for their spring migration. These open water leads are formed either by warmer currents upwelling from below and keeping an area adjacent to the sea ice unfrozen or from currents and wind conditions that move through the region. They are vital to the survival of narwhals and beluga whales that do not migrate south in the winter.
Beluga whale on the surface. Steve Selden photo.
When the belugas arrive in early summer, almost 2,500 animals will inhabit the coastal waters near Churchill including all the rivers and inlets there. At high tide, the Churchill River becomes a calving estuary stretching nearly eight kilometers up river. These relatively warm waters will make for a calm calving process and infancy. When newborn, calves are a darker almost slate gray. This color, opposing the milky white of the adult stage, is thought to be a subtle camouflage trait for the darker water they inhabit. As they grow and become whiter, the color is camouflage as well when living up north amongst the sea ice of near color. Since adults are more alert and more adept at detecting and eluding predators. Young grey -colored whales enjoy the guardianship and protection of their mothers…swimming tightly in their slipstream.
In summer Churchill has many treasures. Guide Sandra Elvin speaks to a group. Steve Selden photo.
The summer in Churchill is a daily reveal of mystery and treasure hidden in the willows and wildflowers of the tundra and the pre- cambrian rolling boulders of the coastal barrier. Each foray into the wild can produce anything the imagination can bring to mind. A beluga whale carcass nestled in the sea grass out at Halfway Point, a polar bear wandering through the boreal forest looking for some eggs from nesting birds, or even a black wolf lumbering in and out of boggy areas near the town weir out along Goose Creek road. As the summer moves forward, polar bears can be spotted along the coast as they arrive from the ice floes in the bay. Each day, each season produces something new and unexpected. Nothing compares to Churchill in the summer….the pace slows down and time seems to come to a standstill. Of course if you like the chance seeing 40 or more polar bears in a day fall might be the time to visit as well. Natural Habitat Adventures has a wide variety of trips that fit into your travel plans.
