Traveling from Winnipeg to Churchill to experience the incredible natural wonders found in the frontier town has limited options. You can, of course, fly via the small airlines and hope the weather provides a window in and out of Churchill. You cannot drive, unless you have ample time and are on a four wheeler or a dogsled…closest you can get is Thompson or a bit farther on gravel road. In fact, my favorite mode of travel is by train.
When I guided Churchill Summer beluga whale adventures for about 10 years, I would take the train one -way, as Natural Habitat does now in summer and winter both, with small groups of 12-15 travelers. The memory that stays with me the most from those days is without a doubt the interactions with thousands of beluga whales in the chilly waters of the Churchill River and Hudson Bay. I still feel the pull to return each summer as if I were the one migrating to warmer waters as the whales do from the Hudson Straits in the north.
However, the other thrill that clearly stands above many of my most treasured memories is the train journey from Churchill to Winnipeg. The anticipation for each trip would build until we boarded, in Union Station in Winnipeg at around 9:00pm at night. Traveling northwest through some prairie – land into Saskatchewan and back into Manitoba was better done at night. Once morning arrived and the group was waking in their sleeper births the landscape changed to more deciduous trees and slowly transition into boreal forest then taiga and tundra. Lakes and rivers were all over the land as we slowly rocked north and slowed even more as permafrost rested below the tracks.
All in all the trip was scheduled for 36 hours though quite often an additional four or five would put us in Churchill around noon or later. This allowed for guests to sleep in and enjoy a nice breakfast on board while Churchill slowly appeared on the horizon. What a way to ease everyone into “tundra time” as Churchillians call the calming pace of life in town. By the time we reached Churchill everyone was more able to search patiently for wildlife on land as well as enjoy the surreal interactions of beluga whales on the water.
This video filmed and produced by Natural Habitat Adventures guide Brad Josephs during a northern lights trip this season gives an inside and outside view of one of the most exciting and relaxing trips on rails you can experience! Whether the landscape or wildlife or even northern lights are your passion, chances arise throughout the journey to experience all or some of these.
Jodi Grosbrink in Churchill snapped these shots of a wandering polar bear outside of town that swam out of the water and rested on the rocks. More polar bears are arriving in Churchill and this upcoming bear season in October and November promises to be an incredible one with large numbers of polar bears waiting for the Hudson Bay to freeze up. Getting these photos from local Churchillian’s is a great way to keep up with the bear population in and around Churchill. Enjoy!
Churchill is winding down from the summer season and it won’t be long before polar bears outnumber Churchillians in this part of the world. Polar bear season is two months away and bears are already appearing in this frontier town on the Hudson Bay. Here are some classic photographs to inspire adventure in everyone.
Largest polar bear recorded; 2,209 lbs. Dan Guravich photo.
Curious polar bear and curious onlookers. Natural Habitat Adventures photo.
Polar bears in Churchill. Melissa Scott Photo.
Polar bear sow and cub out near Halfway Point. Stephanie Fernandez photo.
I recently ventured back to Churchill, Manitoba for a week to help with set-up and installation of Natural Habitat’s new Aurora Pod. The project was finally nearing the end of a long process of design, production and delays and now came the time to test it all out. The time to see if all the work was worth the effort.
Natural Habitat’s Aurora Pod. Brad Josephs photo.
Upon arriving in Churchill and driving out to the proposed pod-site, just above the rock quarry across from the airport along the Hudson Bay coast, I knew immediately this was the place for the pod. Not a doubt.
The stillness in the frigid air froze me in my tracks as I stood just above the quarry and looked over the solid ice – packed Hudson Bay. The endless slab of ice extended north as far as I could see. To the east the Canadian shield rolled down to the edge of the rocky coast peaking through the snow where wind had whipped it clean. Stunted spruce with one – sided branches dotted the surface across the tundra and rock covered surface.
Northern lights above the boreal forest behind the Aurora Pod in Churchill. Justin Gibson photo.
Behind the pod and extending quite a distance to the west along the upland coast was a sturdy stretch of boreal forest holding fast like a battalion of soldiers guarding the bay. On my last day in Churchill I borrowed a friend’s snowshoes and made my way through the powder encrusted spruce pillars and found a wonder world of snowy silence. I worked my way through the heavy snow and came across fairly fresh wolf tracks winding their way back towards the quarry and westward along the coast. As I followed them with trepidation, I had the thrill of hoping to see the maker of these tracks and fear of doing so all at once. Eventually I turned back and left them as they disappeared over the snow covered rocky edge.
I stood one more time taking in the entire scene of boreal forest, rocky Precambrian shield and vast ice covered Hudson Bay all under a clear blue sky. As my nose hairs froze for a last time, I soaked it all in with pure pleasure. The sensation was incredible…one in all the years of working in Churchill I seemed to take for granted after some time.
Snow encrusted trees near the Aurora Pod. Brad Josephs photo.
A couple of days earlier I had joined photographer and former operator/ owner of Sea North whale watching tours Mike Macri on a ski – do trip across the frozen Churchill River to make a last visit to his rustic cabin. Hidden in the woods, just up river and about halfway between Churchill River and Button Bay, the journey was beautiful. Mike’s selling his last couple of pieces of property and heading east to Ontario with his wife to fish and retire to some extent. It was a great way to say goodbye to one of the last pieces of the original Churchill puzzle. As we sat in the cabin warming our toes by the wood stove, eating cookies warmed by the same fire and drinking hot tea, few words were spoken. Sometimes silence says it all. Old friends saying goodbye…though hopefully not forever.
After I returned home I realized that I had taken a trip back, not only physically but consciously, to a place where I have spent a substantial part of my life. Sitting around the “local” table in Gypsy’s restaurant listening to the stories and dialogues between people I remember from long ago reminded me why I fell in love with this place to begin with. Churchillian’s speak their mind ( sometimes with some pretty flowery language) and are very real. Those qualities separate places from the vast majority of towns in the world today.
Churchill’s summer is just around the corner….well, not really but it’s nice to think about on these frigid days and nights. With the temperatures averaging around -30 C for the next 10 days according to Environment Canada, thoughts of an Arctic summer in Churchill are almost like daydreaming of the Caribbean. Almost. Here are five good reasons to dream of summer in Churchill:
Beluga looking curiously up from the Churchill River. Steve Selden photo.
1.- Beluga Whales- Whether arriving by plane, train or ship, most summer travelers to Churchill come for the beluga whales. A few days out on the water, in and out of whale pods, can release any kind of stress from daily life. Add in the coarse summer fog and cool breezes blowing in across the Hudson Bay, and you have a unique wonderland evoking a feeling of transcendence from the modern technologically saturated world.
2.- Polar Bear Dip- Not talking about something you might find at Gypsy’s Deli in town…although it might be more enjoyable do jump into a vat of your favorite chip-dip then immersing yourself in the Hudson Bay in July. Canada Day falls on July 1st and the weekend closest to the date is filled with fun activities around the town of Churchill. One of the looniest, angst-packed endeavors is the annual Polar Bear Dip behind the town complex in the Hudson Bay. “Fun” might be an odd description for jumping and running into water around 40F or lower. Most legs turn to wood before ten seconds elapse and then the real fun begins. Watching people struggle to get back on shore after running out to a flag-line and back is great entertainment. This is a must try event if you happen to travel to Churchill in summertime.
3.- Ghost Town- Summer in Churchill gives you a chance to really feel the frontier lifestyle with considerably less fellow travelers. The majority of people see Churchill in October and November, which in its own right is amazing….though different. However, the weather during this time limits one’s ability to grasp the full feeling of living on the edge of the Earth. Getting out on the land and water to experience the full circle of life fills in gaps left from seeing mainly polar bears.
Churchill wildflowers on the tundra. Steve Selden Photo.
4.- Wildflowers- The diversity of flora in Churchill is the main reason I loved guiding the Arctic Summer groups. Hiking along tundra trails flooded with wildflowers, berry plants and orchids was a never ending adventure and classroom of biodiversity. Getting down and viewing the plants up close unveils a magical world that exists only a few short months. Each plant has a unique story of survival and propensity to propagate in opportunistic ways.
Dene elder Caroline Bjorklund giving a cultural talk. Steve Selden photo.
5.- Meeting Churchillians- When less travelers are in Churchill, businesses and the people in town have more time on their hands. This is the “normal” lifestyle locals are accustomed to and are more apt to take time to share stories about their lives in the north. After all, this is what “tundra time” is all about!
