<< CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS
Hrominchuk agrees a long-term strategy is required, noting Churchill’s town council and its chamber members have identified the issue as a priority. “We’ve looked at it as a community, as a town, and as a chamber, and we’ve said, ‘We need a plan for this,’ ” he says. “Right now you’ve got one rail line — and you’ve got a passenger service, you’ve got a community cargo service and you’ve got the grain trains. Logistically, planning that is a challenge, and these delays are a result of that challenge.” Conversely, Churchill’s location is also one of its chief selling points, Hrominchuk says, noting the area has plenty of affordable housing to offer new residents and families, particularly those with a fondness for nature and adventure. “There’s hunting, fishing, quadding, boating, the rivers, the bay, the boreal forest, the night-viewing — the list goes on,” says Hrominchuk, who owns two hotels in Churchill and provides visitors with the opportunity to watch the northern lights from the comfort of covered Aurora Domes. “It’s a little chunk of paradise. If you want freedom and opportunity and a safe place to raise your kids, that’s Churchill.” ■
rontiers North Adventures partnered with Assiniboine Park Conservancy and child welfare organization Marymound to give kids a whirlwind trip to Churchill in late October. Tundra Buggy tours are a once-in-a-lifetime experience for international travellers, and Frontiers North CEO John Gunter says the project was aimed at offering the experience to kids who would not otherwise have that opportunity. “We’re really passionate about sharing these resources that have been made available to us. We want to share them with as many people as possible and we realize it’s expensive to get up to Churchill — that’s why for a decade we’ve been doing the polar bear cam,” he says. “With this project with Marymound our desire is to get kids who (would) never have a chance to experience wild polar bears, to get them up to Churchill, to get them into the wild to lock their gaze with a live polar bear and maybe create a point in their life where they maybe want to understand science more or make a decision to stay in school.” The trip to Churchill was just one element of the project. Gunter says it’s important that kids have continuing opportunities to pursue their interest in polar bears and conservation back in Winnipeg, possibly by volunteering at the Assiniboine Park Zoo or attending a youth program. Earlier in October, Frontiers North and Assiniboine Park Conservancy partnered to offer guests a Polar Bear Adventure in support of Zoo conservation programs and the Journey to Churchill exhibit. Dr. Stephen D. Petersen, head of research and conservation at the zoo and the International Polar Bear Conservation Centre, accompanied guests on the special tour, and Frontiers North donated $300 for each guest to the Imagine a Place campaign. For information about future tours, visit www.frontiersnorth.com. ■
EXPLORE THE WONDERS OF CHURCHILL, MANITOBA
Hotel Restaurant Pub
1 (800) 265-8563 info@tundrainn.com www.tundrainn.com
10 MBiz | November 2014
Powered by FlippingBook