Polar Bear Alley

This is a collection of northern stories - polar bear, arctic and otherwise from Churchill, Manitoba, Canada - the polar
bear capital of the world.

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Churchill Travel Guide
Hotels in Churchill, Manitoba
Travel to Churchill, Manitoba
Churchill, Manitoba Links

Polar Bear Alley Expeditions
Polar Bears of Churchill Book
Polar Bears of Churchill Facts
Polar Bear Photo Gallery
Beluga Whale Photo Gallery
Polar Bear News 
Polar Bear Attack Page

Weather in Churchill, Manitoba
Tide Table for Churchill 
Churchill Aurora Forecast 

If you like the Polar Bear Blog, check out my first book, Polar Bears of Churchill. It combines eight years of guiding experience in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada with the latest scientific research, local history and a bit of cabin fever. Independently published. Available online for $14.95! Click BUY NOW to purchase a copy and support Polar Bear Alley!

Churchill on Hudson Bay is a mix of Churchill history and stories from the trapline. Written by longtime Churchill residents, Angus and Bernice MacIver, it is the best resource about Churchill, Manitoba available. Published by the Churchill Ladies Club. Available for $16.95

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Archived articles

Polar Bear Alley

This is a collection of northern stories - polar bear, arctic and otherwise from Churchill, Manitoba, Canada - the polar
bear capital of the world.

EMAIL POLAR BEAR ALLEY

Churchill Travel Guide
Hotels in Churchill, Manitoba
Travel to Churchill, Manitoba
Churchill, Manitoba Links

Polar Bear Alley Expeditions
Polar Bears of Churchill Book
Polar Bears of Churchill Facts
Polar Bear Photo Gallery
Beluga Whale Photo Gallery
Polar Bear News 
Polar Bear Attack Page

Weather in Churchill, Manitoba
Tide Table for Churchill 
Churchill Aurora Forecast 

Polar Bear Blog - Polar Bear Jail - October 14, 2007

As Churchill's bear season starts hitting its stride, so does Manitoba Conservation's Polar Bear Alert unit. Right now, there are fifteen polar bears in the Polar Bear jail, now called the Polar Bear Compound to avoid negative connotations and preserve bear self-esteem. There is quite a range of bears but one stands out, a huge eleven year old male that is a repeat offender, in fact, this is his fifteenth visit to the polar bear jail.

Polar Bear Alert officers patrol the Town of Churchill and surrounding areas - divided into three zones. Most bears are handled in Zone 2, just outside of town. Bear sightings are usually called in on the Polar Bear hotline (675-BEAR) and then officers are dispatched. The offending bear is then either escorted from town via shotgun 'cracker shells' or shot with a tranquilizer dart and put in 'jail' for up to 30 days - with only melted snow, no food since that would be positive reinforcement.

Many polar bears are repeat offenders, first brought into the area by their mother, who herself was likely a repeat offender. Incidents should likely decline over the next few years now that the Churchill garbage dump is closed and we are getting a little bit better at handling our garbage. Not much better, mind you...

The polar bear jail should fill up in about ten days or so and then more polar bears will start being airlifted north, about 50km or so to the North Knife or Seal River area. Relocations to the east and south have been tried (and occasionally still used) however the return rate of polar bears was very high. They have a natural inclination to head north-ish and gather along the coast, specifically Cape Churchill, at this time of year. There is some concern that relocating bears north of Churchill puts them closer to Inuit hunters operating along the border of Manitoba and Nunavut but in the big picture, this is a small price to pay. The Polar Bear Alert program is a pretty impressive effort at coexisting with wildlife, one that should set an example for other jurisdictions.

Polar Bear Blog - Polar Bear Blogged - October 13, 2007

So, I have had my ups and down with the blog, sometimes getting emails, variably encouraging, frustrated or irritated, about my periodic gaps in entries. It feels good to know that I'm read regardless. Speaking of which, I finally checked up on my 'webstats' and the Polar Bear Blog is now officially a 35,000 visitors per year website - up about 10,000 from last year - isn't that crazy?

Now, I've been around long enough not to bother with 'hits', thats about the most bogus, meaningless stat you can find but I like 35,000 unique visitors, that's real people and even more people than live in Churchill, in fact, that's even more than my extended family!

The best part is that about 15-20% of daily visits to the site are returning readers so I figure that must be something to do with Churchill's unique northern redneck nature, witty and charming blog entries and a morbid interest in the car wreck that is my life. So thanks for hanging in there.

Polar Bear Blog - Bear Season Revving Up - October 12, 2007

Well, its still early in 'bear season' and as usual, the polar bears are starting to trickle in. There are about five or six out in buggyland right now and there have been bears around for a couple weeks now (there was even a little one that showed up to greet Prime Minister Stephen Harper - reports are that he walked around the buggy, looked up at the Prime Minster, asked for money, Harper said sorry buddy you can't vote. These reports are unsubstantiated at this juncture...)

Anyways, it is shaping up to be a pretty typical 'bear season' where the numbers build until early November when there are 30-40 polar bears around, bears in town every night and lots of wildlife spread out along the coast. Then, the ice freezes and its over, simple as that!

Of course, this is all hearsay, I am still on Hecla Island in my Viking refuge. Heading back up north next week and will get back on the blog daily after that. This should be an interesting year, while I can't guarantee that anyone will drive a white van through a hotel wall (but i'd say the odds are still 50-50 on that one...), I can guarantee the wacky adventures of a japanese film crew wading through the gong show we call 'bear season'. Yes, I will be ensuring that our eastern friends do not get devoured by a bear or local this year. It'll be fun!

After that, I'll post a few blog entries about guiding for Churchill Nature Tours (November 10-14 - if that's your tour, lucky you!!! You will get a real hands-on Churchill experience - in the evenings, we will visit an honest-to-goodness northern cabin and clean the floors, do the dishes, put siding on the shed, fix the graywater pipes, do my taxes, etc... Lots of fun northern things! Bring your powertools!) That and cabin renovations, more bear stuff and Milo updates will be posted once I'm back - the usual unpredictable stuff.

As for other stuff, I think the NatGeo polar bear cam starts on October 20th (??? here i thought i was the only slacker...) and for you last minuters, I think there is still room on the October 16-19th Churchill Northern Studies Centre learning vacation - www.churchillscience.ca (hey, that's pretty nice of me, eh? i give and i give and i give. anyways, if you sign up, ask them why they are not selling my book, Polar Bears of Churchill, there, it is the premiere resource for Churchill polar bear tourists and happens to be for sale just to the left of this blog entry...) You can probably still hop on the train from Thompson but not sure...

Polar Bear Blog - Muskeg Special - October 11, 2007

The new Hudson Bay Post is out, complete with a rumor and innuendo filled article about Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Omnitrax. I'm always nervous when I write serious(ish) articles because I get so caught up writing (and rewriting) that I forget to confirm sources and minor details such as that. But I think most of its true, its hard to say.

What else? Killer whales, Prince of Wales Fort, Costa Rica, Bloodvein River, Icelanders, Polar Bears, Hugh Sutherland, Orverters, Fireweed, Zones of Abscission, you name it! And here's the online edition...

HUDSON BAY POST - BEAR SEASON 2007
Bayline Bailout - Omnitrax and Hudson Bay Railway
Hot on their Fins - Killer Whales in Churchill
How to Make Horse Soup - Fall of Prince of Wales Fort
Fireweed and Fall - Arts and Outdoor Articles
Bayline Blues - History of the Hudson Bay Railway
Mother and Cubs - Arctic Sub-Poetry
Eight Degrees of Separation - Playa Nicuesa, Costa Rica
King Fisher King - Bloodvein River to Chilean Patagonia
Orverter - Against All Oddnys

Also, I will likely be reinstituting subscriptions to the Hudson Bay Post (now that my life is normalizing a bit again). While pricing has not been set, it will cover shipping and handling, likely five Ameros. What's an Amero, you say? Well, you better get used to it, because it will replace the USD and Peso and Canadian Dollar and become our North American currency in about ten years! You heard it here first folks!!! We're so cutting edge at the Post, we really are.

Polar Bear Blog - Hudson Bay Flashback - October 11, 2007

Whoops!!! I just realized that I never posted the last issue of the Hudson Bay Post. AND it was the swimsuit edition. How could I hold that back from my faithful readership? Oh right, I was living in a truck...but nevermind...we are back on track and here's your two for the price of one Hudson Bay Post!

HUDSON BAY POST - SWIMSUIT EDITION - JUNE

Polar Bear Blog - Hail to the Chief - October 5, 2007

Hey, today is my anniversary again! This will be 'bear season' number nine, coming right up, this time selling newspapers and books and making sure japanese film crews don't get eaten by bears. I'm kind of excited.

And who better to celebrate it with than Canada's prime minister, Stephen Harper! Sir, you shouldn't have, come on... its just an anniversary, it really means nothing. Oh and presents, wow, Steve, this is too much, really.

Unfortunately, this is but a dream. It can never be, for I am still on Hecla Island, hiding, I mean, writing, in fact I have been here for about a month, possibly one of my longest stints out of Churchill in a while.

Anyways, the Right Honourable Right Honourable will be in Churchill not just to celebrate my ninth 'bear season' - is that the quartzite or limestone anniversary, I forget - but also to announce that 'all hostilities are over, victory has been secured.' No wait a minute, he's just here for a press conference! And no he won't be in a fighter pilot's uniform, although I can't officially confirm that.

While no election has been announced and nobody wants an election and Harper has decreed that there will be no election, everyone has already begun campaigning and part of our bi-annual elections resulting in minority governments giving out scads of money!!! Yay!!!

Harper is expected to announce federal funding to upgrade the Port of Churchill and the Hudson Bay Railway. After our miserable summer of derailments and service cancellation this is a good thing. And after what looks like a big summer of the Port (although this is most likely the result of low water levels in the Great Lakes), things look promising. I won't even mention Arctic Bridge though...

However, I have been reading several articles about this and once again, I admire how the media is maybe twisted a little bit here and there. Each of them states, and most look to be adapted on the fly from press releases (yes, that does happen...), anyways, each of these articles state that the Port is primarily used by the Canadian Wheat Board and blah blah blah. I have rarely seen 'it is owned by U.S. based Omnitrax corporation which also runs and maintain the Hudson Bay Railway'. I guess supporting the Canadian Wheat Board, which only last year the government vowed to dismantle is now a priority and giving money to a private American corporation to do it is kind of a sidebar. 'We support our farmers and we support our troops. Churchill is an important something something.'

It really does blow my mind that Stephen Harper is bailing out the Canadian Wheat Board, how remarkable political life can be. Next thing you know, his hair will actually move. Or he might even blink. Okay, sorry, that's going overboard and childish privilege of living in a free country, sorry Mr. Harper and sorry to your psychic hair dresser slash image consultant and sorry to her little dog, I think she has a little dog.

Anyways, I always thought that part of Omnitrax's original deal was to upgrade the port and maintain the rail line. I mean I am just a layman and haven't seen all the diligent work that Omnitrax has been doing upgrading the port and maintaining the railline, even if I have heard that no maintenance was done on it for the last three or four years, but hey, i refuse to believe that. A giant corporation wouldn't stop maintaining the tracks if its ten year commitment was coming to an end and it was, say, jockeying for a bit more funding... or we'll close the port, I think they already used that threat five years ago. That's just not how the free market works, damnit, and I have a commerce degree, I should know.

So, if we are pouring more money into it, why did we sell it for $7 in the first place. Actually, Omnitrax bought the rail line as well for $11 million and then sold the money-losing spur to Pukatawagan (what's a Pukatawagan, you say? exactly...) for $8 million, a good chunk of which was government money. Plus another $1.5 million for the Churchill Gateway Development Corporation and $500,000 here and there. That's a pretty good deal. I wonder what they'll get today?

To me, this seems like throwing good money after bad. Harper decided to bypass Churchill for the new northern military training centre for one on Baffin Island that will cost about a bazillion dollars more than Churchill ever would have and will be quietly closed in about ten years - that should be enough time for the Liberals to get their act together.

But, back to Omnitrax, who are the real beneficiaries of this deal. I'm not saying that they're not trying and I have nothing against American corporations per se, I mean I can look past the manifest destiny thing, but I do have a problem with Americans owning all of Canada, influencing our future and getting more Canadian taxpayer money, but that's just me, I'm not a free trader although I can sing a mean version of 'When Irish Eyes Are Smiling' - sorry Canadian joke.

For my American friends out there, look at it this way, say one country with a much larger population than yours was consistently gaining more and more control of your country's corporations, resources and supplies. Each year, you willingly hand over more and more control to foreign hands, in exchange for short-term economic benefit which, in fact, you end up paying for in the end.

You guys are big so its hard for you to understand, hmmm, who is bigger than the states. Right! China! They're way bigger than you guys, physically and economically, and I think they're about to send someone to the moon or something. When was the last time, we went to the moon, hmmm?

But, hey, China's completely different because they have cheap stuff and its very important for us to keep buying cheap crap that breaks in three months from a country where 2/3 of its rivers are polluted and is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases and is still Communist even though we spent five decades fighting the red threat. But, man, those Olympics are going to be great. I wonder if Burma will win a medal?

Of course, this is just one of my usual half researched rants and nothing has been announced yet and maybe we won't hand over bags and bags of money to this Colorado-based company but I just want to go on the record that I called this one two years ago. I should have placed a wager, I could use a handout right now.

Polar Bear Blog - Lake Winnipeg Pickerel - October 1, 2007

So, I'm not in Churchill, I'm on Hecla Island. Its an old Icelandic village in the middle of Canada, when I say old, I mean Canada old as in, 1870s. Its about a third of the way up the west shore of Lake Winnipeg, where the south basin meets the north basin. My porch looks over Lake Winnipeg and its cool and breezy and quiet.

I've been fishing, commercial fishing, a fisherman's helper pulling nets and squeezing pickererl, slimy and dying, out of these nets. Its great even if I'm not all that good at it.

Fishing is kind of an Icelandic thing, names like Grimolfson, Benson, Sigurdson, Kjartanson, those are fishing names, modern day vikings carrying home the booty in blue Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation tubs. Okay, maybe that's a bit overboard, but it'll have to do.

But each day, first trucks gather on the docks, fish tubs and ice are loaded into the boats and one by one they pull away. Buzzing out into Lake Winnipeg, for the best fishing in years, now that science and the media has announced its impending doom.

In the 30s, there was actually talk to developing a commercial fishery in Churchill but I think that was shelved because Manitoba did not think there was a market for two fisheries and Lake Winnipeg took priority. Something like that.