Churchill, Manitoba

Churchill, Manitoba, is a town on the shore of Hudson Bay in Manitoba, Canada.

Related Topics:
Hudson Bay - Manitoba - Canada

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It is most famous for the many polar bears that move toward the shore from inland in the autumn. Its status as "polar bear capital of the world" has turned it into a popular spot for ecotourism, as well as for Arctic research. Tourists can safely view polar bears from specially modified buses known as tundra buggies. October and early November are the most popular times to see the bears, who wait around the outskirts of the town until the ice freezes on Hudson Bay. Churchill is also a reliable place to watch Beluga whales during the summer months.

Related Topics:
Polar bear - Autumn - Arctic - Beluga whales

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The town is the northern terminus of the Hudson Bay Railway, operating on a line that was completed in 1929. The railway is a useful link in the export of Canadian grain to European markets, with rail-sea connections made at Churchill.

Related Topics:
Hudson Bay Railway - 1929

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The port of Churchill is Canada's only real seaport on the Arctic Ocean1. The port is iced in for much of the year. But it is useful for shipping grain, and other bulk cargos, because shipping by rail costs several times as much, per ton, as shipping by sea.

Related Topics:
Seaport - Arctic Ocean - ¹

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Its population in 2000 was 1,028. The town gains its name from John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, who was governor of the Hudson's Bay Company in the late 1600s and an ancestor of Winston Churchill.

Related Topics:
2000 - John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough - Hudson's Bay Company - 1600s - Winston Churchill

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Churchill stands at the juncture of two ecoregions: The boreal forest to the south, and the Arctic tundra to the north.

Related Topics:
Ecoregion - Boreal forest - Tundra

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~