Classic Churchill Polar Bear Adventure

Day 01

Welcome to Winnipeg

I flew into Winnipeg today and I am so excited to go on my Classic Churchill Polar Bear Adventure! My home for the night is a Winnipeg hotel. After checking in, I head to an evening meet and greet held by a representative from Frontiers North. After checking in, I head to an evening meet and greet held by my Frontiers North Interpretive Guide. This gave our group the chance to ask last minute questions and learn more about what our adventure holds. 

© Emilie St. Pierre

Day 02

Churchill Adventure Begins

Today we are going to Churchill! After a very early breakfast with our Interpretive Guide at our hotel, our tour group boards a warm bus for the short ride to the private hangar from where our plane will depart for Churchill. The flight is two and a half hours.

Upon arrival, we head straight out on a Churchill and area tour, which comprises of an exploratory drive past various points of interest in and surrounding Churchill. Our driver stopped briefly at Manitoba Conservation’s Polar Bear Holding Facility so we could get out and take photos. We take a break for lunch and enjoy a warm, home-cooked meal at one of Churchill’s family-run restaurants – who knew Churchill had such incredible food?

After lunch we stop at Polar Bears International House, where we receive a short talk from a Polar Bears International Ambassador who teaches us about polar bears, polar bear research, climate change and more. We also tour the Interpretive Centre and learn how to support polar bear conservation efforts! Next up is the Parks Canada Visitor Centre. Here, we see in-depth displays that reveal the remarkable history of Churchill through wildlife dioramas and exhibits that portray the history of the fur trade in the area.

We head to our hotel where we have a chance to freshen up before enjoying a wonderful dinner with our group and Interpretive Guide. What an incredible first day in Churchill!

Photo © Abby Matheson

Day 03

Tundra Buggy Adventure

It’s our first day on a Tundra Buggy adventure! I made sure to bring my sealable, reusable travel mug with me after reading this blog. After breakfast our group is picked up right from our hotel and transferred out to the Tundra Buggy Dock where we board our Tundra Buggy. After a safety speech from our Tundra Buggy Driver, we hit the trails and travel into the Churchill Wildlife Management Area (CWMA)!

Our Tundra Buggy Driver navigates the bumpy trails of the CWMA in search of polar bears and other subarctic wildlife while our Interpretive Guide shares interesting facts about the area’s geology and history. We enjoy a delicious picnic lunch right on the Tundra Buggy as we watch and photograph wildlife.

At the end of an incredible first day on the tundra, we return to town for a warm dinner with our group, a great opportunity to share photos and swap stories about what we saw on our exciting adventure!

Our final activity of the day is an cultural presentation by a local trapper who shares this way of life in the north through the four distinct and beautiful seasons of Churchill.

Photo © Alex Cupeiro

Day 04

Dog Sledding and Itsanitaq Museum

Our second day in Churchill is all about northern culture. Our first excursion of the day is a dog sledding program with local dog musher Dave Daley of Wapusk Adventures. Dave regales us with his incredible dog sledding stories, introduces us to his dog pack and then takes our group on a mile-long dog sled ride through the boreal forest. Then we head back to town for lunch.

After lunch we head over to the Itsanitaq Museum, which is home to an enormous collection of Inuit artifacts honouring Churchill's Indigenous culture and history. It was wonderful to learn more about northern culture and to feel a connection to Churchill's community!

Photo © Abby Matheson

Day 05

Final Tundra Buggy Adventure

Sadly, it's our last day in Churchill. But first we're treated to one more Tundra Buggy adventure! Similar to the first one, we are picked up at our hotel after breakfast and transferred to the Tundra Buggy Dock. There is no need for a safety speech today, and we set out right away to search for polar bears.

It is another great day on the tundra, full of extraordinary wildlife and photography opportunities. Once again we enjoy a light lunch on the Tundra Buggy. It’s been a successful day on the tundra and our entire group celebrates our amazing luck to have been able to see polar bears in the wild.

As our day comes to an end, so does our time in Churchill. We are transferred back to the Churchill airport for our return flight to Winnipeg. When we arrive in Winnipeg we check back into our hotel. The night is ours to do as we wish, which gives me a lot of time to look over all the photos I took!

Day 06

Depart Winnipeg

I wake up happy, thinking back on my wonderful polar bear adventure. What an amazing experience! Today I check out of my hotel and head home, ready to share my adventures with family and friends.