Day Twenty One Cultural Tour of Churchill Manitoba

Day 21 began early as we were up early to get ready for our first full day tour while in Churchill Manitoba. We had our breakfast at the Lazy Bear Lodge – which was included with our reservation – and went back to our room to bundle ourselves up warmly to face the cold weather outside. It was minus five or so with a heavy windchill bringing that temperature even down further. The snow and sleet was also blowing hard – almost completely sideways for most of the day as well.

We had a couple hours before the tour began so we visited the Northern Lights craft store to view their collection of Inuit art. We selected an inukshuk which was priced considerably cheaper than that offered at the Eskimo Museum. Be sure to check for the official artist certification which is supplied with such art pieces – that way you know the pieces are genuine. These certificates include the artists name and location.

We boarded the bus along with the other tourists from the lodge and headed out on our cultural and heritage tour of Churchill. Our tour guide was a Lazy Bear Lodge employee – Tom. Tom was very knowledgeable of the local area and the deep history of the town. He was also packing a shotgun so you knew a run-in with a polar bear was never out of the question at some of the sites we visited.

The cultural and heritage tour brought us around the town and some of the places we visited included the polar bear compound which is also known affectionately as the polar bear jail. This is where the conservation officers bring the bad polar bears who wander too close to the town. They are either trapped and/or sedated and they are brought to this former American military compound building where they are kept in strict isolation until they can be released further down their migration path. It is a highly organized method of keeping both the bears and inhabitants of Churchill Manitoba safe. Before this facility was running they would shoot and kill the bears.

The tour also brought us to a former fort site where the British had established a gun fort to protect the sheltered port and town site. It was near to the last established summer home site of a local native band. Hudson Bay was was alive with waves as the wind was really picking up the surf and this made for great photo opportunities. We also got to see some of the endangered Canadian Inuit Dogs or Qimmiq in Inuit. This dog differs from other sled dogs in that it is not bred for speed but for endurance. The collection we saw were juveniles and were sadly often the target of local wolves. Polar bears have been photographed oddly enough “hugging” these dogs. Seeing them at ease in the bitter cold reminded you quickly that these were not ordinary dogs we are accustomed to seeing.

Tyler says of day 21 – I very much enjoyed the cultural and heritage tour of Churchill Manitoba. This is a place rich in history from the very early days of Europeans coming to North America. Add in the deep historical record of the Inuit and other native peoples accessing this area and any history buff will find ample learning opportunities. The weather was a bit of a challenge as was the constant threat of polar bear encounters as we were in prime migration season and often right on their path. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and this made the tour all that much more enjoyable and rewarding – it was a day well spent.

Catherine says of day 21 – Again it was friggin’ cold! The tour was very interesting but I realized Churchill is very small. Seeing our tour guide carrying a shotgun sure made you remember that we were in polar bear territory. If you are going to buy Inuit art you should buy it at the craft store and not the museum if you are looking to save money. You can still support the museum by leaving a donation as we did.

Tags: Canada, canadian inuit dog, catherine, churchill, eskimo museum, hudson bay, inuit, lazy bear lodge, manitoba, north america, northern lights, polar bear, qimmiq, tour, tyler