Reflections on Churchill

 Reflections on Churchill

Churchill Manitoba in the winter is truly the “deep north” and worth experiencing (at least for a few days). Its history is rooted in trade and transportation. People have lived in the Churchill area for thousands of years, starting with the Thule people about 3000 years ago with successive waves of population by the pre-Dorset and Dorset cultures, and then the Inuit about 300 years ago. South of Churchill the Dene and Cree also moved in.  The first Europeans (late 17th century) were trappers and whale hunters, and the Métis reflect a mixed heritage from that period. 

The Hudson Bay Company established a trading fort in 1720-40. While Hudson Bay is only clear for freight shipping from July to October, it was the only option until 1929 when the train line from Winnipeg was completed. After the fur petered out, the major industry was whale hunting.  Then in the mid-20th century, after whale hunting was banned, “whale cowboys” would trap belugas to ship to zoos and aquariums. The mid- 20th century also saw the creation and abandonment of the army base, a research rocket base, and a commercial grain port. Finally, in the 1980s, polar bear trips began the shift to ecotourism as the major income source for Churchill. In some ways the community has come full circle, returning to sustaining themselves based on the natural resources of the area (in this case through ecotourism).  

There is currently a debate about reopening the port for mineral shipments, as the warming of the NW passage is increasing the ice free shipping lanes; the effect this will have on the polar bears and beluga whales is the counter position. 

A word about the isolation of Churchill: there is no road access from Winnipeg. The train ride from Winnipeg takes two days, in part because the last 150 miles is over muskeg, relatively thin land above the permafrost and very prone to freeze-thaw heaving. That last 150 miles takes 12 hours  because the rail bed is so uneven.  Flying round trip from Winnipeg costs over $2000.  When we flew up on March 5th the cloud cover prevented much of a view, but on our return flight, clear skies enabled us to see how vast and flat the landscape is between Churchill and Winnipeg. In Churchill the highest bluff (formed by isostatic rebound) is 100 feet high. 

We spoke to a number of Chuchillians, some of whom grew up there and others who came for a visit and fell in love with the place. As our art instructor, Sandra Cook, said— in the winter there is a sense of accomplishment to do even the simple things (like going grocery shopping in -40F walking into the wind, as it’s too cold for your car to start anyway).  During the fall when polar bears are common sights in town, the rule is to leave your house and car unlocked at night in case someone needs a safe place to be. 

There is a huge town center (over 200,000 square feet) built by the army when the town had 4,000 residents, before the base closed. The town center includes all three schools, the hospital, the library, the town offices, basketball court, hockey and curling rinks, a swimming pool, gymnasium, art center, and movie theater. On Monday, when the windchill was -50 or lower, we heard children at the indoor playground. 

The town is very diverse, with a high proportion of First Nations but also people from all over Canada and the world. As a community they are working hard to overcome the lingering effects of the Residential Schools experience of previous generations. There is a deep appreciation of the nature and the stillness; many of the townspeople have cabins to “get away from the bustle” of an 800-person town! The brief Arctic summer is said to be beautiful with migratory birds, wildflowers on the tundra, and the bay full of beluga whales. 

For those of you who are curious about how one dresses to stand outside and watch the lights, a photo of Kevin is attached. He is wearing: thermal underwear, then a layer of shirt and pants, then a fleece, then a puffy jacket, insulated snow pants, a heavy long parka, a woolly hat, two pairs of socks and insulated boots. A buff or balaclava to cover the face and hand and foot warmers  finish the gear. 

Pictured: Kevin all suited up, downtown on a cold day, looking out on frozen Hudson Bay,  landscape view from the plane, sunset showing the snow drifts across the road