Winter Predeparture Information

PASSPORT

All international travellers are required to have passports to enter Canada. Well before your departure, we invite you to visit the Government of Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration website for more information. All travellers to and from the United States are required to have a passport. For more information, visit travel.state.gov.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

Travel in Canada’s North is not like other parts of the world. You will be travelling to a remote destination. Comprehensive Travel Insurance coverage is mandatory. See our full Booking Terms and Conditions.  

GRATUITIES

As of 2024 gratuities are included in the price of your trip. Should you wish, you are still able to provide additional gratuities to any individual you interact with. 

EXTENDING YOUR TRIP

Your adventure includes both a pre and post night stay in either Winnipeg or Calgary, depending on your itinerary. If you would like to add more time in Winnipeg or Calgary, please contact our office for more information. Please note, these departure cities are itinerary specific and are not interchangeable. 

CURRENCY EXCHANGE

We suggest you exchange your currency into Canadian dollars prior to your departure. Currency exchange can be completed at most major banks or international airports. Visa and Mastercard are accepted in Churchill at most shops, hotels and restaurants. There is also an ATM at the Royal Bank in the Bayport Plaza.

PACKING

Temperature can vary from -27ºC to -20ºC (-13ºF to -3ºF), but often strong winds can push the temperature down several more degrees (the ‘windchill’ factor). The Tundra Buggies, Dan's Diner and Thanadelthur Lounge are heated, however dressing in warm layers is the best way to stay comfortable.

Learn What to Wear While in Churchill

Here is a list of items that we recommend you pack for your time in Churchill:

•    Warm hooded parka 
•    Long underwear
•    Snow/ski/wind pants
•    Wool sweater
•    Wool blend socks
•    Fleece sweat pants
•    Turtle-necks
•    Hooded sweatshirt
•    Warm gloves/mitts
•    Thin gloves
•    Wool hat or toque
•    Scarf
•    Warm, rubber-soled boots
•    Binoculars
•    Moisturizer and lip-balm
•    Sunglasses
•    Camera manual
•    Camera tripod
•    Reusable, sealable travel mug or water bottle

Checked baggage for all flights must be limited to one piece per guest for a maximum total of 23kg (50lbs), and not be larger than 158cm (62in) (L+W+H). Each guest is allowed 2 carry-on, including personal items, for a maximum combined weight of 9kg (20lbs).

The maximum dimensions permitted for carry on-baggage is 25cm x 40cm x 30cm or 10in x 16in x 12in. Carry on that exceeds these dimensions will be considered checked baggage and will have to be stored in the general baggage compartment. Space permitting and if able to be safely stowed, additional items such as coats, medication bag, a cane, CPAP etc. may be permitted in the cabin.

We are happy to offer our guests outstanding Canada Goose parkas, snow pants and Baffin boots through our Gear Rental Program. Visit our Gear Rentals page for more information.

Weather Conditions/Day Light

Temperature can vary from -27ºC to -20ºC (-13ºF to -3ºF), but strong winds can make the temperature feel colder (the “windchill factor”). 

The days are shorter during February and increase in length as March progresses. You can expect approximately 9-11 hours of daylight during February and March.

What is Thanadelthur Lounge like?

Heated for your comfort, the Thanadelthur Lounge provides a relaxed atmosphere with wall-to-wall windows and skylights with panoramic views from inside. It is also equipped with a rooftop observation deck and stairs that lead down to the ground. Appetizers and refreshments will be provided.

What is Dan's Diner?

Across the frozen Churchill River, a remote dining experience awaits at 58° North latitude. Surrounded by wilderness, dine beneath the aurora borealis with a sophisticated, multicourse meal featuring regional and local fare. Find out more at dans-diner.com

What are the hotels like in Churchill?

The hotels in Churchill are clean, comfortable, centrally located and include all basic amenities, including internet access.

The Churchill Inukshuk

Located directly on Hudson Bay, this large Inukshuk is a popular spot for group photography. Be aware: there are often bear sightings along this shore.

Seawalls Churchill Murals

Spearheaded by Manitoba artist Kal Barteski, this event transformed abandoned buildings, objects and blank walls around Churchill into beautiful murals to raise awareness for ocean health and conservation. Transportation required for some murals. Multiple locations throughout Churchill.

Town Centre Complex

Opened in 1976, this expansive structure serves as a focus for many community activities. The Centre includes the municipal offices for The Town of Churchill, the Churchill hospital, Duke of Marlborough School, the public library, as well as a curling rink, arena, swimming pool, cafeteria, bowling alley, indoor playground and theatre.

Cape Merry National Historic Site

A stone battery built on this site in 1746 provided additional protection for Prince of Wales Fort across the Churchill River. It is an excellent location for watching whales, viewing waterfowl or migrating birds or simply enjoying the panoramic view of Hudson Bay. Transportation required. Please note that bear sightings in this area are common. Never walk alone in this area and always be bear aware!

MV Ithaca

The wreck of the MV Ithaca sits 20 km (12 miles) east of Churchill, high and dry when the tide is low and surrounded by water when the tide is in. Bound for Rankin Inlet in September 1960, the right rudder broke in an 80mph gale and it floundered near Bird Cove where it rests to this day. Transportation required.

Miss Piggy

The site of a crashed airplane affectionately known by locals as Miss Piggy. The plane crashed in November 1979 as it attempted to return to the Churchill airport shortly after take-off. The plane landed in rough terrain and still remains there today. Transportation required.

Polar Bear Holding Facility

The Polar Bear Holding Facility in Churchill is referred to by the locals as Polar Bear Jail. If a bear is repeatedly chased from the town it may eventually be captured and put in ‘jail’ for up to 30 days before being released north of the town or out onto the frozen Hudson Bay. Transportation required.

PHONES TO CONSIDER

It is a good bet that if you purchased a smartphone in 2020 onwards your phone will have a decent chance of being capable of capturing the aurora, but as all phones are not created equally, the following is a list of phones where we have seen great aurorae photos captured.

Google Pixel 6 and newer: excellent captures

Samsung GalaxyS21 and newer: excellent captures

iPhone 12 and newer: excellent captures

Google Pixel 5: great captures

iPhone 11: great captures

TRIPOD AND PHONE HOLDER

You can find some reasonably priced tripods that are light and don't take up much space in your luggage. The Gorillapod is a great option and typically available in most stores.

Don’t arrive at your destination with a tripod and no way to get your phone on the tripod. Ideally you will have a phone holder that allows you to tighten the holder using a screw function. The phone holders with springs tend to be a bit less reliable, but if you do end up with a spring loaded phone holder, a simple elastic band can help to secure it and make it a bit more sturdy. 

When using the phone holder, be mindful not to cover your camera lens and try not to put it on top of any of the buttons on the side of your phone.

SELF TIMER OR VOICE ACTIVATION

Even on a tripod your hand will shake the camera a bit when you take a picture. There are two solutions to prevent this and they both exist on your phone. The first is, voice activation controls. Once your camera is open you can simply ask Siri (iphone,) Bixby (Samsung,) or Google to take a photo. If voice prompts don't work for you, use the self-timer on your phone, a 2-3 second delay should be more than enough time.  

MODE

The images captured in this blog all used the night mode setting. Most phones in this article offer a form of night mode, but in the event your phone does not have this, try using the cloudy setting. 

QUALITY

Often phones will not save your images at maximum quality to help preserve space. Turn the image quality to maximum to get the most out of your photos.

LOCATION

If you can have something in the foreground to give the viewer context it can really improve your images. Try finding trees, a building with little to no light or an iconic object, like Churchill's beachside inukshuk to fill in the bottom of your frame. It will give the viewer perspective to how large and beautiful the northern lights displays can be. 

FOCUS

Nothing can be worse than setting up your phone on a tripod, making sure you have something great in the foreground, arrange your self timer and still getting a blurry photo! Make sure you tap on your screen to focus on a point, to ensure the image is crisp, we recommend trying to use a star or something in the distance. 

Equipment

Cameras

Use a camera that has a shutter speed of minimum 15 seconds and ability to adjust the ISO aperture. 

Lenses

A “fast” lens of F2.8 or less is recommended to allow for more light to come in. It’s possible to shoot with a “slower” lens (F4 - 5.6), but this will increase shooting time, ISO and camera noise. Wide angle lenses help to capture sky-wide auroras, but this distorts the images at the edges. Most photographers who pursue astrophotography (or night photography) find an 11mm zoom to be the best option, however if you're looking for a more all around zoom value that isn't specific to astrophotography, consider anything between 11 and 35mm lenses. For non-full frame sensor cameras, this will change the depending crop factor of the camera.

Memory Cards

Make sure you have enough memory card storage with you. Bring extra memory cards and/or have a way to download the images on another storage device, such as a laptop and spare hard drive. It’s common to use 32GB of storage—or more—in a single day. TIP: Take a few smaller cards (four 8GB cards) rather than one big card (32GB or 64GB) unless shooting HD or 4K video continuously. If a card breaks, it’s hard to retrieve images.

Tripod

A tripod is essential to capturing the northern lights. For crisp, clear pictures of the northern lights, you need to have your camera on a stable platform. It is recommended to hang a heavy bag on the tripod to reduce any movement caused by the wind. Use a remote timer or cable* to further reduce vibrations. Last, be sure you’re not moving the tripod around when shooting, especially in snow, as it will result in unclear images.

*in extremely cold temperatures a cable may actually cause more vibrations, always remember to take test shots.

Extra Batteries

The cold will drain batteries quicker than normal, so keep spares in a warm pocket near your body to help maintain their charge.

Flashlight/Torch/Headlamp

These are important for seeing camera functions and focusing on near subjects. They can also be used to light up subjects. Just be aware of others around you, as they won’t be happy if you shine it at their camera!

External Camera Flash

For the more experienced photographer, lighting a subject area or person may enhance your image.

Camera Set-up

Every brand and style of camera is slightly different. Please read through your camera manual before departing on your trip

In-Camera Menu

It’s recommended you shoot in RAW to obtain the most information possible for editing photos later. Ideally, it’s always best to get your exposures roughly correct at the time of shooting. Chat with your fellow travellers to discuss settings and exposures.

Focus

Focus on the subject lit by your headlamp, or manually focus on the stars using the ‘live view’ screen on the back of the camera.

P (Program) setting

This setting allows the camera to decide optimum settings. It’s the easiest to use, but may not produce the best photos.

Av/A (Aperture Priority) setting

This setting lets the camera decide how long the shutter will be open after you set the aperture. It can be balanced by adjusting ISO until you get the correct exposure.

M (Manual) setting

On this setting, it’s all up to you to adjust the aperture, ISO and shutter speed. It’s recommended to shoot at 11mm zoom, F 2.8, with a 20 second exposure and ISO 2000.

ISO

Start your ISO at around 1600 to 3200 to create a decent photo with fantastic colours.

White Balance

Leave it on auto. You can edit the photo later!

Polar Bears International 

Frontiers North Adventures has been working with Polar Bears International since 2002. Polar Bears International is the only conservation organization dedicated solely to wild polar bears. Frontiers North supports Polar Bears International through Churchill-based conservation initiatives, including developing and building Tundra Buggy® One, which Polar Bears International uses throughout the autumn polar bear season as a roaming studio enabling them to air their Tundra Connections webcasts worldwide. Tundra Connections allows Polar Bears International to share their polar bear conservation messaging with teachers, students, and lifelong learners around the globe. Partial proceeds from our trips go directly to Polar Bears International. 

Raincoast Conservation Foundation 

Frontiers North Adventures has been working with Raincoast's Cetacean Conservation Research Program since 2022. Raincoast Conservation Foundation works in collaboration with Indigenous communities and other organizations to study how cetaceans use sound, to interpret trends and impacts of underwater noise, to evaluate killer whale health and nutrition in the face of ecosystem change, and to understand beluga whale communication and behaviour. Partnering with with Raincoast Conservation Foundation allows Frontiers North to provide their guests with the opportunity to learn about and deepen their understanding of beluga whales and their Arctic ecosystem, their complex vocalizations, and the conservation threats they face.

Polar Bear Alert Program

Although polar bears are typically away on the sea ice during the winter months, wildlife is unpredictable, and it’s good to be prepared no matter which season you travel to Churchill in.

Polar bears spend much of their year roaming the ice of Hudson Bay hunting seals. When the ice begins to melt in July, the bears come ashore and remain on land until the bay freezes over in late November. While on land in the summer, the bears eat little and are quite inactive. But as autumn approaches, they begin to move northward along the coast and congregate where the first winter ice forms. This annual movement brings many bears into the town of Churchill each year.

Manitoba Conservation and the Town of Churchill have worked hard to educate the people of Churchill and visitors about polar bears and how to avoid potentially dangerous situations. Manitoba Conservation operates the Polar Bear Alert Program, which has the following objectives:

1. To protect people and property from the dangers posed by the presence of polar bears.

2. To ensure the conservation of polar bears and avoid undue harassment and killing of bears.

3. To prevent polar bears in the Churchill area from becoming conditioned to scavenging for food or developing other problem behaviours.

4. To protect Manitoba Conservation staff who work in the Polar Bear Alert Program.

IF YOU ENCOUNTER A POLAR BEAR

• Stay calm

• Stay with your group

• Back away, facing the bear at all times

• Do not turn and run away

• Do not play dead

• Get into your vehicle or a building as fast as possible

• Call the Polar Bear Alert line at 204-675-2327 (204-675-BEAR)