Churchill Manitoba

Train Station Greeting

One of the best places to see Polar Bears in the wild is Churchill Manitoba Canada. Churchill is one of the lowest latitudes that polar bears congregate in early November each year before leaving the land to spend the winter hunting for ringneck seals on the ice.

Churchill is a small town around 900 hundred people in 2016. Tourism is one of the main sources of income. With Polar Bear viewing in November, Northern Lights or the Aurora Borealis during February, Beluga Whales in summer as well as birding and wildflower tours.

You can get to Churchill which is located on the Hudson Bay in Northern Manitoba by air or train. The train ride from Winnepeg will take two to three days depending on the freight trains using the same tracks. The flight from Winnepeg can be very expensive and is currently run by Calm Air or  Air North. You just might be on a plane that has cargo since this is one of the ways supplies can get to the northern communities when there is no water access.

The town of Churchill has several stores for souvenirs, a grocery store, a few places to stay and a variety of restaurants. The hospital, recreation center, library, and school are all connected at one end of town parallel to the Hudson Bay.

Rocket launch 1965

We stayed at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre https://churchillscience.ca/. This area was once used by the U.S. Army as a sounding rocket test station. The Army left Churchill in 1970 and the  Canadian National Research Council to support the Canadian Upper Atmosphere Research Program during the '70s and '80s but was deserted by 1985.

Churchill Northern Studies Centre New Building

We spent a week at the center learning about the polar bears, climate change, local vegetation, and landscape.

Hudson Bay before the ice

Cross Fox

The Arctic Fox use to be the only fox in the area. With the Red Fox moving into the area there is now a black fox with to white tip tail from cross-breeding of the Arctic and Red Fox.

Tree Island

Our main goal was to see Polar Bears so we spent two days traveling in Tundra Buggies in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area. We were not disappointed as we saw numerous large male bears waiting for the ice to form so they could get out on the ice to hunt for ringneck seals their primary food source. For these bears, it has been a long time since they ate their last seal when the ice disappears in June on the Hudson Bay. Here are a few pictures that we took of the bears.

Who is Stronger?

We also had a dog sledding ride. This experience gave us an idea of what it would be like to travel this way. The experience was only a mile long but that was cold enough for most of our group.

The last experience was the 45-minute helicopter ride over the Hudson Bay rugged coastline. Everyone has a window seat during the helicopter ride with groups being no longer than four people.

Ice Forming on the Hudson Bay

If you plan on going you need to book early. We booked in early January the year we wanted to go in November. We also booked our flight as soon as possible. If you wait the price goes up and there is limited space so you may need to take the train. We heard that the train was an interesting experience but we wanted to get there faster. The train also only runs on certain days so you might have to book an extra night in town at a hotel or B&B.  Here is the current website for the tour we took.

https://churchillscience.ca/event/lords-of-the-arctic-i/

This was definitely a wonderful experience that I would not have wanted to miss. If you plan to fly in and out in a day you take your chances with the weather and polar bear sightings might be limited. Some tours only take you around town and along the road system not out onto the tundra in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area. The Churchill Wildlife Management Area is not Wapusk National Park which is farther away from town.

Winery's and Farms

The Okanagan is a great area to visit BC wineries and farms that produce a variety of different products from fresh fruit, lavender, honey, goats milk gelato and cheese. In the summer the variety of fresh fruit is fantastic.

Mission Hills Winery

Mission Hills is one of the larger, well established winery's in the area.  There are also a lot of smaller family wineries that do not export out of British Columbia.

Quails Gate Winery View from Patio

Quails Gate Winery is open year round for dinner. We had an exceptional meal. The menu is limited but the quality is outstanding. The wine is also exceptional but don't expect to pay top dollar for the meal.

Okanagan Lake from Penticton

Driving south from West Kelowna along Okanagan Lake there are numerous wine growing areas to explore. Check out Peachland, Summerland, Penticton. A little farther is Naramata Bench, Okanagan Falls,Oliver, and Osoyoos. Venturing north of Kelowna you can visit wineries in Lake County. If you are visiting in April check to make sure that the winery you want to visit is open.  Many of the smaller wineries have limited hours in the winter and spring.

Most wineries charger a small fee to taste a flight of wine (four or five samples). Before tasting check to see that the wines they are offering for tasting is what you are interested in trying.  All the wineries we visited did not charge for the tasting if you purchased a wine. Some wines are only sold at the winery so be sure to check if you want to purchase the wine once you arrive home. I noticed that very few of the wineries we visited offered crackers to clear you mouth between wines.

There are also lots of tour companies willing to take you to a variety of wineries.  This is a great choice if you do not want to drive after sampling. I fined that to truly enjoy a tasting I can really only visit one or two wineries in a day.

During our visit we also went to Carnelis Goat Cheese farm to taste the gelato made from fresh goats milk.  They also had a variety of cheeses make from goats milk. There were lots of samples available. If you choose to take a container of gelato away remember to consider the temperature before you get your product home, you may need to have a cooler.


We also went to Vernon to visit Plant Bee Honey Farm and Meadery. This was a great experience as they have a glass beehive so that you could see the bees working and even spot the queen bee.  There are a variety of samples and if you are old enough you can also taste the mead which is a wine made from honey.

What ever you are looking to do there is a great variety in the Okanagan Valley.

Kananaskis Country in Alberta Canada

Kananaskis is a provincial park west of Calgary before you reach Canmore or Banff. 

This is a wonderful area that is less congested than the national park and allows for wonderful opportunities for wildlife sightings.  Over the last forty years I have always enjoyed time in this area.  I have stayed at the Youth Hostel, in the hotels, camped in a tent and watched a meteorite shower that happens in early August. 

The hiking trails are numerous in the different areas and provide opportunities to see beautiful vistas and hidden lakes.  There are several trails for disabled individuals as well and accommodation designed for wheel chair accessibility.

I have had the opportunity to fish in the park before it was well established and caught rainbow trout.  This is a great place to watch a variety of birds in their natural habitat. 

We have stayed at the lodge and spent many Christmas or New Years  celebrating with family.  These experiences provide countless memories and the lodge goes all out to make the experience exceptional.

If you like to ski the cross country skiing is awesome with numerous tracked trails.  Downhill skiing at the Nikiski Ski Hill is also a great experience for all abilities.  The drive from Calgary allows Kananaskis to be an easy day trip.
.

The golf course was another wonderful opportunity to enjoy the scenery and put your skills to the test.  Unfortunately with the devastating flooding in 2013 the two course were closed.  Currently I do not know if they will ever be repaired. 

You can see the mud still on the golf course from the club house.  The beautiful white sand is not very white any more.

Even with the devastation from the flood in 2013 there are still wounderful opportunities to enjoy this area with the family.

If you are looking for a new place to visit in Alberta consider Kananaskis and Peter Lougheed Provincial Parks.  I know that I will return to the area often.