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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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

Polar Bear Blog 

Today's Blog 
Hudson Bay Quest 2007
February 15-March 19, 2007
January 14-February 15, 2007
December-January12, 2007
December 1-10, 2006
November 20-30, 2006
November 5-20, 2006
October 27-Nov5, 2006
October 19-26, 2006
October 9-18, 2006
October 1-October 9, 2006
Sept 24-October 1, 2006
Sept 15-23, 2006
Sept 1-8, 2006
August 20-31, 2006
August 8-17, 2006
August 1-8, 2006  
July 25-31, 2006  
July 18-24, 2006   
July 12-17, 2006   
July 2006   
June 2006  
May 2006 
Archived articles

Polar Bear Blog - Mothers and Cubs - October 1st, 2006

Hey, did you know that it is International Breast Feeding Week? I just found out myself and, coincidentally, I am totally unprepared.

So I figured this would be a good day to write about mothers and cubs, not to mention the latest information released from Canadian Wildlife Service indicates focuses on female bears. Their research has found a steady decline in body condition of the polar bears of western Hudson Bay. In 1980, the weight of an average female polar bear was 650lbs. By 2004, it had dropped to 507lbs.

Considering life is tough enough for females, this is not great news. Nursing takes energy, protecting and teaching your cubs takes energy, hunting seals takes energy. So, heading into 'bear season', it is pretty important for everyone to have a heads up for mothers and cubs out in 'buggyland'.

As long as I can remember, there has been an unspoken rule that buggies and buggy drivers, do not 'push' (follow) mothers and cubs. If she gets up and walks away, that's it, whether she stuck around for ten minutes or ten seconds, that was your chance and that is just wildlife. Even more importantly, when it looks like she is getting ready to nurse, everyone shuts down and, well, if you are not close enough or in the best position, too bad. Regardless, nursing is one of the best wild moments to witness.

At this time of year, we are still about five months away from prime seal hunting season. Even when the ice forms in mid-November, life is still harsh out on the bay. In fact, polar bears will not reach their lightest weight until March! It is not until the seal pup birthing season that bears can really 'fatten up'. Mothers are having a hard time producing milk, especially young bears who may be on their first or second litter. They will still nurse, as their cubs demand, but if stressed or 'pushed', that moment can be cut short or even stop milk production.

Polar Bear Blog - Big Bear - September 29th, 2006

Stopped and watched a nice big polar bear lumber along the coast today. Even from a distance, you can tell the big males. They have this slow swaying walk and their legs look just a little too long. It is kind of an optical illusion I guess but that's what it seems like.

Of course, every polar bear looks huge in the distance and really every polar bear is huge when you think about it, even the smaller ones are about the size of a black bear. But, it never fails when you see a polar bear that your first thought is 'Wow, that's a big one. Must be 900 lbs or more'. Of course, bears have a tendency to shrink as they get nearer and your 900lb polar bear can turn into a 200lb cub pretty quick. There's just not much on the horizon to compare them with and objects in the foreground kind of mess with your mind. I think its called the Ponzo Illusion; the same reason why the moon looks so big while it is rising.

But anyways, this bear was actually big, probably 900lbs plus!

Polar Bear Blog - Bears from the Air! - September 28th, 2006

I forgot how much I love interviewing people. I am not good at it but I still like it. Usually my questions are kind of like 'So, tell me about whatever?' or 'And?' or 'Do you have any coffee?', good solid questions that get right to the point. A few awkward silences later and we have an article!

Anyway, tonight, I interviewed Don Gould, our local inventor/tugboat captain, and his friend Barry from Steinbach. Barry is an ultralight pilot with over twenty years experience and Don is the proud new owner of an ultralight. Together, they have started a little ultralight company in Churchill and are giving lessons/tours this fall. Each evening, they will take someone up for a quick lesson and a bird's eye view of Churchill. Of course, while you are up there, you will have an incredible view of the tundra, the coast, the town and maybe a polar bear or two - their last trip they saw four and another 60-70 beluga whales out in the bay. Plus, they maintain that it is as easy as riding a bike. We'll find out because I am going up the first chance I get! (I wonder if I should tell them that I am deathly afraid of heights)

Speaking of articles, the Confessions of a Buggy Driver issue is now circulating through Churchill and, I don't want to say I told you so but I told you so. During editing, someone at UpHere added 'I'm the man behind the wheel' to the article. I made them change it to 'I'm the guy behind the wheel' so I wouldn't get razzed for the next decade. So, what did I hear tonight? Oooh, you're the guy behind the wheel... Sigh.

Actually, as usual, I'm exagerrating. Everyone was really nice tonite. For a mean old northern town, Churchill has some pretty good days.

Polar Bear Blog - My Mother is nicer than Mother Nature - September 27th, 2006 (4pm)

Another blog entry - not just because I am procrastinating either. A Tundra Swan is swimming around in our lake right now, this year's cygnet, lost and alone. Another sign of an early winter? Maybe. Is this swan doomed? Definitely.

Looks like the adults have pulled the plug and headed south for the winter. A hard fact of life in the north and in nature anywhere and likely a hard decision of them as well. It takes a lot of energy physically and I am sure emotionally to raise young in the wild. To have to make the decision between your life and the life of this year's young cannot be easy.

But, Tundra Swans need all the time they can get for their young to fledge and an early freezeup can spell disaster for an entire family. Now, whether one of the adults died (Polar Bear Blog - September 16th) or both of them sensed an early freeze is hard to say but, regardless, it is a hard thing to watch.

Polar Bear Blog - Snow Squalls - September 27th, 2006 (2pm)

First snow of the year - 1pm. North winds are carrying snow squalls through Churchill, alternating between diffused daylight and bouts of wet snow. A good day to be inside and a good day to be working on my website and newspaper.

Of course, it is also a good day to be published! My 'Confessions of a Buggy Driver' article is out in circulation. It was quote unquote my swansong for my buggy driving career - I just don't get along with the new owners and can't keep my mouth shut. I had a falling out with the owner's son (so I hear) and I was pretty much fired after that. But that's life, of course, that is until a friend of mine started talking about getting my buggy driving job back and stirred up a bunch of old feelings. And, wow, I am really going to miss watching polar bears and driving buggy this year but on the other hand I am not going to miss working for someone that can't stand my personality. Oh well - time to buy my own buggy, I guess. (If anyone has a buggy for sale, email me...)

Not that I have time for that or anything because I also organized a group advertisement promoting polar bears and beluga whales in this month's UpHere. Of course, I linked it to this website. And, of course, I have not had time to post all the Churchill travel information so that's what I am doing today along with a gazillion other things.

Note: Confessions of a Buggy Driver is not a salacious Joan Rivers tell-all filled with rumor and innuendo (although it should be) but instead a reference to Confessions of an Igloo Dweller by James Houston - a very nice book about the north. Although, maybe an online Confessions of a Buggy Driver series might be in order...after I update the travel site...

Polar Bear Blog - Medecine Wheel Meltdown - September 27th, 2006

No snow yet but things are stormy in Churchill. We have a new CEO and he is off to a bit of a rocky start with some of the locals. I am heading in to meet him this morning for a story in the Hudson Bay Post (Churchill's monthly newspaper published occasionally) and am kind of excited to see who this guy is who is stirring up so much chaos.

A couple of our Churchill Ladies Club ladies were on a rampage yesterday because they are trying to set up a medecine wheel on the coast and the bricklayer is showing up today and nothing was being done and a whole whack of things like that. So, they had a town employee that was officially barred (don't ask) from using the front-end loader using the front-end loader and the wind was howling and the waves were crashing on the beach. It was all very dramatic. I hope the CEO knows what he is in for because these two lovely, sweet ladies are also about as forgiving as a Mack truck!

It is always so fun gathering information for the newspaper. I talked to a friend of mine who is on a one man campaign against big business influencing scientific research and then to another local who just started an ultralight tour company. Today, I am hoping to interview Brian Ladoon. Erratic and enigmatic, he is one of our most memorable and controversial characters.

Polar Bear Blog - Snow Buntings - September 26th, 2006

While I am waiting for a couple files to upload, I figured I would write a bit about snow buntings. Snow buntings are little dinky birds that show up early in the spring and late in the fall. Kind of harbringers of a change in season.

Each spring and fall, they can be found in large flocks, weaving along the coast, turning and twisting almost as one. The whole idea behind this is safety, safety in numbers, that is. Peregrine falcons, gyrfalcons, northern shrikes, snowy owls, you name it, all prey upon buntings. Falcons, especially, will pair up to chase a flock of buntings, flying in a kind of figure eight pattern, one bird will push the flock forward while the other cuts through it, hoping to swipe an unlucky victim.

For their part, buntings prey on seeds and willow buds, and grain from the Port of Churchill. These little white and brown birds are a pretty nice touch to the onset of winter.

Polar Bear Blog - Snow? - September 26th, 2006

The forecast is calling for snow tonight. With frost for the last five or six days, I would say there is a pretty decent chance, especially if the north winds picks up a bit. As usual, I am not quite ready for winter. My firewood is cut but I still have to rig up my anti-polar bear security lights, finish my storage shed (including salvaging a door for it somewhere) and, of course, finish the October issue of the newspaper.

Polar Bear Blog - More Wood Cutting and the Butcher Bird - September 25th, 2006

Heading out for another day at Twin Lakes and another load of wood. Yesterday, on our way back, we saw a very cool bird, a northern shrike.

The Northern Shrike is a little killer bird that terrorizes other little birds and little rodents. It is beautifully marked, gray, highlighted by black and white. When its wings are open, it kind of resembles a little warplane, like a p-51 Mustang or something.

Sometimes called 'the butcher bird', it impales its prey on thorny bushes or even barbed wire. A stealthy and vicious hunter, it can sometimes be heard imitating other bird's songs, usually its intended victim. Birds are so bad!

On another note, I left Milo tied up yesterday, just to keep peace in the valley. So, I come home only to find him, with a film crew at my neighbours house. He was prancing around, hamming it up, like nothing had happened at all. One of these days I am going to write an entry about Milo's nine lives - he has been driven over, poisoned, attacked by a bear and now shot at! And that's just the stuff I know about...

And finally, the polar bears are starting to make an appearance again. Every September, there is a bit of a lull before 'bear season' but it looks like things are getting rolling early. We watched a mother and cub walk across Bird Cove, turn around because a big male bear was lying in the rocks and then walk back to their original spot to wait him out. It is tough being a mom and cub.