MBiz

33 MBiz | june 2017 I n a province where the polar bears of Churchill have, more than anything else, put us on the international tourism map, it's not surprising that residents of the northern city of Thompson would pin their tourism marketing on another furry predator. But Thompson's effort to become the Wolf Capital of the World is at least as much about understanding and protecting the wolf as it is about filling hotel rooms and restaurants with wildlife-loving travellers. That's why Spirit Way, the non-profit leading the wolf- related marketing, is organizing its second International Wolf and Carnivore Conference this October. "It's an economic boost for the community," says Spirit Way president Marion Morberg. But more importantly, she says, "I'm a proponent for the boreal forest. We're one of the most intact boreal areas in the world." Wolves make effective symbols of wilderness. But they are more than just symbols. To support a healthy population of wolves, an ecosystem must be able to support healthy populations of the animals they eat, such as moose, caribou and hares. Therefore, to understand wolves is to understand the environment that supports them. Participants at the upcoming conference, Oct. 18-19, will gain greater understanding of both, thanks to nationally and internationally renowned scientists and authors who will share experience gained over a lifetime. The conference will have three themes: Polar Bears (and Other Carnivores) and Climate Change; Are Wolves at Fault for Moose and Caribou Decline?; and Creating a Global Wolf Centre of Excellence. The first theme recognizes the link between Thompson and Churchill in wildlife research and tourism. Dr. Nikita Ovsyanikov, a polar bear and wolf biologist who has spent decades studying the white bears in the Russian Arctic, will not only speak at the conference. He will lead a one-day trip to Churchill the day before and a post- conference session focusing on non-lethal ways to deter polar bears. Other keynote speakers are Dr. David Mech, founder of the International Wolf Center in Minnesota; Erin McCloskey, author of Wolves in Canada; and Dr. Gilbert Proulx, an award- winning ecologist whose recent work has focused on boreal caribou and the feeding habits of wolves. That issue is particularly timely given the controversial issue of wolf culls that have been introduced in B.C. and Alberta to address declines in local woodland caribou populations — and also considering Manitoba's moose population crash. The third theme hooks into Thompson's decade-plus effort to tie its identity to the charismatic canine. The city is known for Spirit Way, a 2.5-km path through the city that takes in 16 points of interest, including a 10-storey reproduction of a Robert Bateman wolf painting and a series of painted wolf statues. Another non-profit in the city is working to redevelop the 1960s era Thompson Zoo into a Boreal Discovery Centre showcasing the region's flora and fauna — and the first phase is the development of a natural- looking 1.3-acre wolf habitat. Spirit Way is bringing in a wildlife photographer/ filmmaker from Alberta who has his own wolves, which will be on display at the new habitat in September as part of Canada 150 celebrations. Spirit Way also puts on a monthly contest for locals to share their photos and videos of wolves as a way of demonstrating that the normally elusive animals are plentiful around Thompson. The contest has yielded some amazing shots — including a video of an immature wolf howling within sight of a group of men cutting wood that has received more than 200,000 hits on Facebook. Morberg, who lives outside of the city at nearby Paint Lake, says she typically has about three wolf sightings per year. Targeting wildlife tourism was a natural fit for Thompson, she says, noting that 20,000- 30,000 polar bear watchers pass through the city en route to Churchill each year. Those marketing efforts are giving Manitoba's North exposure to millions of potential visitors in the U.K. this year. The city of Wolverhampton, where the professional soccer team is called the Wolves, has just set up painted wolves like Thompson's. And another wolf statue is on display in London at Charing Cross Underground station — where more than two million commuters per month will see the symbol of the Wolf Capital of the World. ■ Thompson group pins tourism hopes on wolf packs By Bob Armstrong THOMPSON'S INTERNATIONAL WOLF AND CARNIVORE CONFERENCE Left: A wolf spotted near Thompson. Photo by Kristie Crate. Right: The wolf mural overlooking Spirit way. Photo by Volker Beckmann.

• Cover