DESTINATIONS CANADA | CHURCHILL


CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Lazy Bear Lodge; a polar bear in fireweed; dining at the Lazy Bear Cafe; an inuksuk and the northern lights PICTURES: Shutterstock; Deb Ransom; Travel Manitoba/CoPilot Collective


GETTING THERE


There are no roads into town, it’s air or train only. Most packages start and end with a night in Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba (and worth a longer stay for its emerging art, food and culture scene), and include the two-hour flight to Churchill. Due to unpredictable


weather, it’s wise to leave some buffer time before onward travel. For adventurous clients, consider the two-night Via Rail train journey to Churchill from Winnipeg or, depending on their itinerary, the shorter train ride (16 hours) or flight from Thompson.


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TRADING UPDATE Wildlife is only half the story in the ‘polar bear capital of the world’. Thanks to its location on the Churchill River, which feeds into the Hudson Bay, Churchill was once at the heart of the fur trade, and in the 17th century, was the lucrative Hudson Bay Company’s first trading post. It was also a research station, rocket launch site, supply centre and military base during the Second World War and Cold War. It’s hard to imagine now, but Churchill was once home


to between 4,000 and 7,000 people – it even had a Ford car dealership. Now it has a population of 900, one supermarket (Northern Store) and a where-everybody- knows-your-name feel. In its compact streets with their low-rise buildings and smattering of hotels and lodges, (such as the family-run Lazy Bear Lodge, also the town’s best restaurant), there’s a surprising amount to see. In recent years, Canadian authorities have made


greater efforts to bring in indigenous (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) perspectives and history, as exemplified by Churchill’s Parks Canada Interpretation Centre, inside the railway station. Land grabbing and children forced into residential schools in an attempt to strip away indigenous culture are among the stories told, often by local indigenous (Inuit or Cree) people. Our guide, Florence Hamilton, is descended from the Sayisi Dene people that settled in this area. “All my stories are here in Churchill,” she tells us. The centre also addresses climate change, and photos and videos depict Churchill in its heyday.


33Churchill was once at the heart of the fur trade, and was also a research station, rocket launch site and military base


TRUE NORTH Churchill’s top pick is the Itsanitaq Museum (previously the Eskimo Museum), which is a brilliant place to learn about Inuit culture and the importance of caribou. Carvings of Inuit life, polar bear masks and whale horns keep me hooked for hours. It has an excellent gift shop too, although the best place in town for northern crafts is Arctic Trading Company, on Churchill’s ‘high street’. Walking through Churchill is a treat. While the town may appear to be asleep, there’s plenty to see. Don’t miss the inuksuit (stone landmarks used by the Inuit to communicate messages) around town, the huge bright murals that address issues of sub-Arctic life, and the new Polar Bears International House visitor centre. Even the post office is an attraction, if you want a polar bear stamp in your passport. “It might sound weird, but the community centre is a good way to find out what living in Churchill means,” Jason tells us. He’s right. The centre is a social hub, library, hospital, theatre, gym, hockey arena, curling rink, pool, school, administrative centre and polar


² travelweekly.co.uk


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