# Churchill, Manitoba (Non-TS question)



## Timeshare Von (Dec 29, 2007)

I'm seriously considering doing one of the polar bear tours based out of Churchill in the fall of 2008.  I was wondering if anyone else has done one . . . and what suggestions you have given that there seems to be some options in terms of lodging (hotels in Churchill or on the tundra in a "polar bear lodge") and which company you use.


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## ricoba (Dec 30, 2007)

Yvonne,

I just have to ask....Don't you already live in a cold place??? 

What's the deal with you wanting to travel to even colder places????  


But to be serious, I don't have the answer about any tours to Churchill, though I did live in Manitoba for a couple of years and met people from there from time to time.  I remember someone telling me the Hudson's Bay still had icebergs as late as July. 

My doctor, has pictures in his office of his trip to Churchill to see the bears, he said it was an amazing trip.  He's an amateur photographer and had some beautiful pictures.  If I saw him more often, I'd ask him, about his trip and the company he used, but he's an orthopedic guy and I don't have to see him on a regular basis.


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## Timeshare Von (Dec 31, 2007)

Hi Rick!  You think just like my husband (and most of my family & friends)!!  He cannot understand my fascination with the cold weather climates like Fairbanks and Churchill.  I guess it started with our summer trip to Alaska and seeing all of the photos of the aurora and wildlife, and my desire to see and experience them too.  

As silly as it sounds, the cold is really different here (in Iowa or Milwaukee) and when you're bundled up ready to be outside, it just doesn't seem all THAT cold   I think it's like that Phoenix heat in August, has to do with the lack of humidity . . . LOL.  I've even invited a friend from Milwaukee to join me on my next Fairbanks trip.  She and her 15 yr old son will be going too.

Anyway, cool if you do find out some local info on the Churchill polar bear tours.  I think I've got it narrowed down, however, to a couple of them based on their websites and info on Trip Advisor.


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## Kola (Dec 31, 2007)

*He is an expert !*

Ask him. He is an expert !
 
http://www43.statcan.ca/01/01a/img/extra/01a_004a_1.htm

M.


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## Timeshare Von (Dec 31, 2007)

LOL - I'm hoping to get up close and personal with him!!


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## ricoba (Dec 31, 2007)

Timeshare Von said:


> LOL - I'm hoping to get up close and personal with him!!




I sure hope you are not going to get too close or too personal!  :rofl:


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## Timeshare Von (Dec 31, 2007)

No more than this


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## Kola (Jan 3, 2008)

*Bear Photos*

You will find a good collection of photos from Churchill, Man., including many polar bear photos at :

http://www.arcticcircle.ca/churchill2000/1002/page_03.htm

This is probably more than you will be able to see if you go there yourself.

Good luck

Mike


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## Timeshare Von (Jan 5, 2008)

*Done!*

I have just confirmed my trip for Nov 1-6, 2008 with Churchill Nature Tours.


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## Timeshare Von (Jan 5, 2008)

Kola said:


> You will find a good collection of photos from Churchill, Man., including many polar bear photos at :
> 
> http://www.arcticcircle.ca/churchill2000/1002/page_03.htm
> 
> ...



Thanks Mike.  Most of the tour buggy tour groups see upwards of 15-25 bears a day out on the tundra.  I'm really happy with my dates and I'm hopeful that there will be snow as to see the bears on the brown dirt and grasslands isn't quite as appealing to me.


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## ricoba (Jan 5, 2008)

Congrats on lining up a tour. 

.....what happened to a February excursion, when you could almost guarantee that it will be -20 to -40 or so!!! 

Seriously, though I don't think you should worry about snow in early November.  In my few years experience having lived on the southern and central Canadian Prairies, during winter, I remember snow starting late September to October.

Maybe a current resident could chime in.  I think we have a couple Tuggers from Saskatchewan and Manitoba.


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## Kola (Jan 6, 2008)

Timeshare Von said:


> Thanks Mike.  Most of the tour buggy tour groups see upwards of 15-25 bears a day out on the tundra.  I'm really happy with my dates and I'm hopeful that there will be snow as to see the bears on the brown dirt and grasslands isn't quite as appealing to me.



I wouldn't trust these buggy tour guides. They could claim to show you 25 bears but in fact it's the same FIVE bears shown FIVE times from different perspectives. You know, a white bear is a white bear is a white bear... on a white snow....:whoopie: 

Anyway, have a nice trip and take a lots of photos !

Mike


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## ricoba (Jan 6, 2008)

Kola said:


> I wouldn't trust these buggy tour guides. They could claim to show you 25 bears but in fact it's the same FIVE bears shown FIVE times from different perspectives. You know, a white bear is a white bear is a white bear... on a white snow....:whoopie:
> 
> Anyway, have a nice trip and take a lots of photos !
> 
> Mike




I am no expert, but I think the sad part about the Churchill bears is that they have become too comfortable with humans around the town and the garbage the humans leave.


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## Timeshare Von (Jan 6, 2008)

Kola said:


> I wouldn't trust these buggy tour guides. They could claim to show you 25 bears but in fact it's the same FIVE bears shown FIVE times from different perspectives. You know, a white bear is a white bear is a white bear... on a white snow....:whoopie:
> 
> Anyway, have a nice trip and take a lots of photos !
> 
> Mike



Thanks Mike.  The "people" who I've been communicating with are folks who have done the tours and who blog or journal about their experiences.  Here's an outstanding blog, if you're interested:  http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog/mlloyd/churchill-2006/tpod.html .

Michele and I have been writing back and forth for a couple of weeks now, so I'm pretty sure her feedback on her experience is legit.

As for the comments in a subsequent post about the bears getting to comfortable around humans, that is apparently, especially if you look at the photos in Michele's blog as they do come RIGHT up to the buggies.  Also, they roam around town looking for food to survive.  People who live there and tourists are very careful about not damaging the instincive hunting nature of the bears.  Bottom line for them, however, is that by the fall/winter freeze, they are near starvation and looking for food from wherever they can get it.


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## Timeshare Von (Jan 6, 2008)

ricoba said:


> Congrats on lining up a tour.
> 
> .....what happened to a February excursion, when you could almost guarantee that it will be -20 to -40 or so!!!
> 
> ...



The temps up there, I'm told, are somewhat moderated by the water and many of the polar bear tour photos from folks who go in October show the bears with little to no snow cover on the tundra.

As for February, that was never a possibility   I am going to Fairbanks in March, however, so I will have an oppty to freeze my arse off at those temps.  Last year it was like -25 with winds of upwards of 30 MPH so the wind chill was probably like -50!  And yes, i was out "in it" as that was the night that the photo as my avatar was taken.


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## bookworm (Jan 6, 2008)

Wow, this is a trip most Manitobans would not even try! I have lived in southern Manitoba all my life until two years ago though I still go home every summer. I suppose trips like this are a novelty for those outside of Winterpeg (I mean Winnipeg) and the surrounding areas. Most of us prefer to go south. You can definitely get snow by the first of November though it probably won't stick around yet at that point. I can remember many a Halloween with the flakes beginning to fall as evening approached. We wore costumes under our winter coats. I have been about halfway to Churchill on a few occasions but have never gone that far. The roads are absolutely barren by the time you get about an hour north of Winnipeg. It is a very long way with little to see. Can you fly directly to Churchill from Winnipeg? I'm sure the tour organizers have something good in mind. It will likely be quite cold that far north by then - the prairie wind is what feels the worst, not the temps. 

I have no doubt though that you will have a memorable experience! Enjoy it! Manitobans are generally a friendly people and you may get to experience something of the native cultures and the historic fur trade in the north - I hope you have a good time. If you have any general questions about Manitoba, I'd be happy to answer.


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## Timeshare Von (Jan 7, 2008)

Yep - Calm Air is the primary carrier from Winnipeg to Churchill, and the one most of the tour operators use.  They do provide a "rail option" which is way more expensive and 36 hours each way on a train.  NO THANKS!


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## ricoba (Jan 7, 2008)

bookworm said:


> Wow, this is a trip most Manitobans would not even try! I have lived in southern Manitoba all my life until two years ago though I still go home every summer. I suppose trips like this are a novelty for those outside of Winterpeg (I mean Winnipeg) and the surrounding areas. Most of us prefer to go south. You can definitely get snow by the first of November though it probably won't stick around yet at that point. I can remember many a Halloween with the flakes beginning to fall as evening approached. We wore costumes under our winter coats. I have been about halfway to Churchill on a few occasions but have never gone that far. The roads are absolutely barren by the time you get about an hour north of Winnipeg. It is a very long way with little to see. Can you fly directly to Churchill from Winnipeg? I'm sure the tour organizers have something good in mind. It will likely be quite cold that far north by then - the prairie wind is what feels the worst, not the temps.
> 
> I have no doubt though that you will have a memorable experience! Enjoy it! Manitobans are generally a friendly people and you may get to experience something of the native cultures and the historic fur trade in the north - I hope you have a good time. If you have any general questions about Manitoba, I'd be happy to answer.



Winterpeg is a term I haven't seen used in a long long time. 

Nothing like standing on the corner of Portage & Main in the middle of January or February, eh? 

I lived a couple of years in Manitoba, in both Dauphin & Ashern and I visited Winnipeg quite often.  I would consider Manitoba in general and Winnipeg specifically as real hidden gems of places.  And it's true the people are friendly, though I don't think they put that on the license plate anymore, do they?


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## qaRuss (Jan 10, 2008)

*Hello from Manitoba*

Just back in from reading my plate and yes it does still read "Friendly" Manitoba, which replaced "1,000,000 Lakes" and "Sunny". All are true!
Just wanting to comment that Nov 2006 trip to Hawaii lead to a chance meeting there with a lady from Northern Europe who had stopped half way to see the Polar Bears in Churchill. She was not overly thrilled with the Beach in Hawaii but could not say enough about her Churchill experience.
Rick is right, very few of us here in southerm Manitoba have made the trek to Churchill. I am on this list of non attenders but have been close (Gilliam) a few times. The road does not extend far past Gilliam and does not go to Churchill. The train ride is known to be painfully slow.
Note the time to see bears is fall / early winter as they congregate waiting for the ice to form on Hudson Bay. When it freezes, they are off to hunt seals.
Summer in Churchill has an abundance of Buluga whales, also getting to be a major tourist attraction.
Bears are a big thing here. Did you know "Winnie" the Pooh is actually named after or principal city, Winnipeg?
Yes, we are Manitoban's; known for our friendliness, our lakes, our abundant sunshine, our polar bears and our pooh.
Hope you enjoy visiting Manitoba, we are very proud of it.


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## bookworm (Jan 10, 2008)

You gotta love it when there is such a build up of snow and ice, there's really only one possible lane on side streets and the snowbanks get so high you practically have to pull out into traffic to see around them. Standing on Portage and Main in January.....the weather in New Jersey is downright balmy in comparison. Having said that, the summers are hard to beat - incredible temperatures and gorgeous sunsets (oh, the mosquitos - well they fog for them now in many places but last year in cottage country around Lake Winnipeg those nasty things were pretty hard to take.) 
The mosquitos shouldn't be a problem in Churchill in November  .


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## Kola (Jan 10, 2008)

bookworm said:


> .....Standing on Portage and Main in January.....the weather in New Jersey is downright balmy in comparison. Having said that, the summers are hard to beat - incredible temperatures and gorgeous sunsets (oh, the mosquitos - well they fog for them now in many places but last year in cottage country around Lake Winnipeg those nasty things were pretty hard to take.)
> The mosquitos shouldn't be a problem in Churchill in November  .



Standing on Portage and Main anytime between October and April is a challenge !   

Mike


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## Timeshare Von (Oct 19, 2008)

*Less than two weeks!*

I will be leaving for Churchill two weeks from yesterday.  I can't believe that it's finally time!  I've been following the Polar Bear International's "Ambassador" program for high school students.  They just completed their second two week session up there.  I enjoyed reading and seeing photos from their experiences and look forward to my own.

I have started a blog where I hope to post nightly about the day's activities, to include photos I've taken.  Here is the link for those who may be interested:  http://polarbearswithvon.blogspot.com/ .

Von


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## ricoba (Oct 19, 2008)

Thanks for the update!

I had forgotten you were interested in a trip to Churchill.  You must be excited since it's so close.

I have a friend in Winnipeg who is already betting on snow in Winnipeg before Halloween, so I am sure you will find Churchill to your liking! 

Keep us posted.


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## Timeshare Von (Oct 30, 2008)

Thanks!  I'm really jazzed about the trip . . . and yes, they are getting zonked with snow as I type here tonight


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## Timeshare Von (Nov 9, 2008)

The trip to Churchill was spectacular!  We had quite the blizzard on Tuesday, but that just added to the polar bear viewing out on the tundra.

I have finished writing my Churchill travel journals and reviews for IgoUgo and have them up and "live" on the site now.  Here are the links to the two journals, each of which contain individual reviews and summaries of my activities, along with photos taken while touring with Churchill Nature Tours.

http://www.igougo.com/journal-j71810-Churchill-Vons_Polar_Bear_Adventure_-_Nov._08.html

http://www.igougo.com/journal-j71837-Churchill-Exploring_Churchill_With_Churchill_Nature_Tours.html

This was truly a once in a lifetime experience that I highly recommend!


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## Dori (Nov 9, 2008)

I'm so glad you had such a wonderful time!

Dori


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## ricoba (Nov 10, 2008)

Timeshare Von said:


> The trip to Churchill was spectacular!  We had quite the blizzard on Tuesday, but that just added to the polar bear viewing out on the tundra.
> 
> I have finished writing my Churchill travel journals and reviews for IgoUgo and have them up and "live" on the site now.  Here are the links to the two journals, each of which contain individual reviews and summaries of my activities, along with photos taken while touring with Churchill Nature Tours.
> 
> ...



Wow, your travel journal looks GREAT!

I haven't had time to read it all, but so far, it's been a good read & the pictures are wonderful! 

This to me is the best part of TUG, I can visit parts of the world, where I probably never will have the opportunity to see.

Thanks for sharing!


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