Located next to the Hudson Bay, is the town of Churchill. You will quickly find out why they get their name of Polar Bear capital of the world. Every year between July and November, you can find them spending the summer there, waiting for the bay to freeze over so they can hunt for seals. Churchill is a remote area that is only accessible by air or rail. They are also known for Beluga whales and Northern lights. I've had Churchill on my radar for a couple of years. With a break in my schedule and Lazy Bear Exhibitions calendar lining up with Labor Day weekend, I jumped on the chance to go. This trip did not disappoint and glad I made it happen this year as it is also apparently the best year to see the Northern Lights too.
POLAR BEARS
There are a little over 900 polar bears that migrate to Churchill. There are only 3 companies that have permits to enter the tundra. The day we went, we were the only vehicle on the tundra. They told us there was only a 25% chance to see the bears, but that day we saw three. One was sleeping and then we found a momma and her cub who was super curious and spent a good 20 minutes checking us out.
NORTHERN LIGHTS
Churchill is one of the top 3 places in the world to view the Northern Lights. Scientists from around the world come to Churchill to study them at the Northern Studies Center. They can be viewed most of the year, but the best time is January through March when they have longer nights. I can't imagine what they would look like then as they put on a show the nights I went out to see them!
SEAWALLS PROJECT
There are 18 murals around Churchill. They are part of a larger SeaWalls project that started in 2014 and now has 500 community murals in 19 countries around the world. Churchill’s SeaWalls were created with the intent to educate the community to protect the oceans. 18 artists from 8 countries came together to volunteer time over 11 days in June 2017 to create these beautiful murals.
by Charlie Johnston
by Dulk
by Li Hill
&
by Case Maclaim
by Takashi Iwasaki
by Arlin
by Pat Perry
by Jason Botkin
by Georgia Hill
by Cracked Ink & Kai Kaulukukui
by Askew One
by Pat Lazo
by Mandy van Leeuwen
LOCAL MURALS
Along with the SeaWalls, local artists also painted murals on garage doors and side of buildings. They are just as gorgeous as the SeaWalls and brighten up the town.
