Churchill, Manitoba

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

History

A variety of nomadic Arctic people lived and hunted in this region. The Thule people arrived around 1000 from further west, and later evolved into the present-day Inuit culture. The Dene people arrived around 500 from further north.

Related Topics:
Thule - 1000 - Inuit - Dene - 500

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Europeans first arrived in the area in the late 1600s. The first permanent settlement was a log fort built at the mouth of the Churchill River in 1717 as a trading post for commerce with Inuit and Dene people, part of the extensive fur-trading network established by the Hudson's Bay Company. The company replaced it with Prince of Wales Fort, a large stone fort finished in 1741. The fort was taken without firing a shot by French warships and razed in 1782, and a new fort was built a short ways upriver.

Related Topics:
Europeans - 1600s - 1717 - Hudson's Bay Company - Prince of Wales Fort - 1741 - French - 1782

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This area was also the site of the Churchill Rocket Research Range, part of Canadian-American atmospheric research. Its first rocket was launched in 1956, and it continued to host launches for research and commercial satellites until closing in 1984. The site of the former rocket range now hosts the Churchill Northern Studies Centre, a facility for Arctic research.

Related Topics:
Churchill Rocket Research Range - 1956 - 1984 - Churchill Northern Studies Centre

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While Churchill is the only Arctic Ocean seaport in North America with a rail connection to the south, Hay River, NWT also provides a rail link to the Arctic Ocean. Hay River is a riverport. Cargo shipped north from Hay River travels by barge.

Related Topics:
Hay River, NWT - Riverport

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