Tourists make the trek to Churchill, Manitoba to lock eyes with polar bears
Churchill, Manitoba is known as the polar bear capital of the world. While it's not far from the Twin Cities, it's quite the journey to get there.
Erin Hassanzadeh traveled to Churchill in the WCCO Original Documentary "On The Edge," which explores the relationship between the people and the polar bears of the warming arctic.
There are no roads in or out of Churchill. Most make their way to Winnipeg, and from there board a two-day train or catch a two-hour charter flight to get to the town on the Hudson Bay.
"If you want to lock eyes with a bear, you've got to make your way to Churchill," said John Gunter, CEO of Frontiers North, a tourism company.
Tourists come to Churchill to see the arctic beasts, but also to witness the kaleidoscope of nature's wonders. It's a place where biomes and cultures collide.
"It's hard to explain to anybody the feelings you have, especially as Indigenous people with our connection to the animals," said Dave Daley, a dog musher who owns Wapusk Adventures.
It's a pilgrimage photographers, scientists and nature lovers have been making for decades. They layer up and pile into tundra buggies — large vehicles that traverse the icy terrain — to bring them nose to nose with something truly wild.
As the town faces a future where the polar bear season could shrink due to ice melt, they're looking to future proof. Leaders are building out other tourism opportunities — from the northern lights season to the beluga whale migration season in the summer.
