In the north, in the Arctic, survival can be perilous at best. Sure, the technological inventions of the past 20 years have made life easier for inhabitants up in the hinterlands however many tasks cannot be aided by a cell phone, ipad, or anything else besides perseverance. The attached video is just a snapshot of lives that still endure from strength of heart and good old fashioned will to survive. People in the North are hearty souls that need to constantly reinvent themselves to make it through harsh seasons…of course the harshest being winter. The current temperature in Churchill is -28 and -46 with the wind chill.
With the extended cold temperatures ranging in the -20’s and 30’s centigrade, solid sea ice has packed the Hudson Bay. The polar bear population in northern Manitoba is enjoying a cold Winter on ice with seals in their bellies. As usual the annual fears of late-season freeze-up were once again allayed around the third week of November when the Hudson Bay was solid enough for polar bears to venture off the land. A few bear sightings since then are most likely a result of Southerly winds that pushed ice out away from the coast while some bears came ashore and were temporarily landlocked.
Polar bear on ice in Churchill,MB- Brad Josephs photo.
Overall, however, ice coverage in the bay is down again from recent years accumulation. This Environment Canada chart on historical ice accumulation in the Hudson Bay shows the overall ice decline in the past decade. While temperatures in Winter remain cold, the “bookend” seasons have compressed the high -ice Winter season into a smaller time-frame. Although extended time on land around Churchill is good for tourism via longer polar bear viewing seasons, less time on ice hunting seals means leaner bears and sometimes more irritated bears as discussed in my last blog post on problem bears in Churchill.
Currently the ice accumulation for this season is looking decent as seen detailed through this recent Environment Canada ice graph of the Hudson Bay. In this case, unlike ice in Eastern Canada where baby Harp seals are born, red ice as portrayed on the graph, is good ice. All the levels of ice thickness are at the high end of the spectrum and although median temperatures for Churchill are down by six degrees centigrade, surrounding communities along the Hudson Bay coastline have all measured normal, in range cold temperatures.
Hudson Bay ice off coast of Wapusk National Parc. -Steve Selden Photo.
While ten or fifteen years of downward trend in ice coverage of the Hudson Bay may surely signal a warming trend in the making, we cannot assume this trend will continue without more evidence. As the polar ice cap shrinks as it surely is, more open water for longer time spans will allow for more heat absorption and thus further melting. How the polar bear population will be affected is still an unfolding story. This USGS study on polar bear population of the Southern Hudson Bay is a somewhat more in – depth review on how polar bears are being affected by the shortened sea-ice season. There seems to be a higher risk associated with new born cubs as well as adolescents rather than a direct correlation to adults with less body fat due to less time on the ice.
Quite clearly the past few polar bear seasons (October/November) in Churchill have pointed toward adaptive bear behavior as bears have been seen attending to more seal kills along the coast for supplemental nourishment. Even through my recent Summer guiding experiences in Churchill we have seen more Beluga whale kills in the shallow inlets or on the coast. Although no scientific data can point to these trends as real behavioral change, the change seems to be real. If bears can adapt and find new food resources, maybe the population wil adjust in the future. As of now the population seems to be holding steady with some Northern Inuit communities reporting an increase n polar bears. Whether these perceived increases are actually larger bear numbers or just more bear sightings due to more bear frequency due to ice conditions remains to be seen and documented.
Churchill, Manitoba …the “polar bear capital of the world” is becoming a town with a bear problem. Or..are seasonal polar bears having issues with increasing numbers of tourists venturing to the town to view them in their natural habitat? The iconic tourist destination has always had issues with polar bear safety, however, the last decade or so has seen an escalation of what Manitoba Conservation titles “polar bear occurrences”. These “occurrences are bear encounters that pose a threat to humans. Although no person has been fatally harmed within the last couple of decades in the town of Churchill, more and more close calls are being reported each year.
Traveler numbers to Churchill have increased each year over the past decade placing strain on Manitoba Conservation officers patrolling the area. Although larger, experienced tour companies educate their guests on safety regulations, many tourists arrive in town independently with little or no information related to bear safety. Photographers especially are more prone to take extra risks as they attempt to capture images of polar bears, other wildlife and the Arctic landscape. Walking along Precambrian rocks near the beach or wandering just outside town limits is similar to playing Russian roulette…bears can appear from behind a rock or out of a tree stand drifted with snow. I personally have seen numerous naive individuals walking alone, unarmed outside town. After informing some of these people of the risks and danger of walking in those areas, they all seemed either surprised or unconcerned regarding their situation. Although no laws are being broken, other than those of the common sense variety, information needs to be more readily available to unsuspecting travelers. Signs, literature and website information could go a long way in deterring people from straying too far from the safety of town.
Polar bear danger area. -Steve Selden photo.
Churchill itself can be a risk when darkness falls and especially when storms blow in across the Hudson Bay. Polar bears, wander into town lured by smells and habit from years of curiosity. Shelter between buildings and under structures make the town a nice respite for these hungry animals awaiting the annual freeze-up of the bay. This is where the question of endangerment comes in. Are bears endangering the local humans or are the humans endangering the polar bears. Because the topography of the coastline allows for the annual migration of bears to this site, we must concede that polar bears would congregate here regardless of human population. However, more bears might gather here as a result of human activity and all the food scents and products that come with it. Both animals have found a middle ground of sorts forged by toleration. Bears are trapped more often than killed these days as the local economy is now driven from their presence. Churchillians have developed an information network for Conservation officers to respond quickly to bear sightings in and around town. Polar bear alert ( 675-bear) network has facilitated rapid response to bears in town and approaching bruins that may be a risk to human safety. This system has work very well over the last decade.
Steve Selden photo.
One variable that has crept into the polar bear-human relationship in Churchill is the global warming issue. While scientific evidence still points to a warming trend in the Arctic that could impact the animals more severely in the future, the main concern at present time is the length of the seal hunting season on the bay ice. With a somewhat later freeze-up in November and an earlier break-up in the Spring, bears are forced on land and into Churchill for longer periods of time. These extended stays are creating friction between bears and humans creating a new dynamic that needs to be considered. Being more aware as a traveler to the region is a start. Respecting the “wildness” of the polar bear population in all circumstances is paramount.
The annual doubts focusing on the Hudson Bay freeze-up were put to rest last week as Winter blew in across the icy Hudson Bay. Plummeting temperatures along with blizzard conditions allowed for the bay to freeze over quickly. All the banter over weather or not this would be another late freeze – up was allayed, by weeks- end as polar bears were journeying out across the frozen surface. Current temperatures well below freezing bode well for a solid freeze -up and bountiful seal hunting for the bears.
Karen Walker photo.
Guide Brad Joseph’s group arrived in Churchill just before the brunt of the Winter storm was settling in. After lunch, in town, the group hurried out to the polar bear compound with a couple of other groups to witness a bear lift. A great way to start a trip up North. On the way back to town, along the coast road, some local Churchillians slid off the road into a snowbank across from miss piggy, the old plane wreck, and Brad attempted to help push them back onto the road…all the while keeping a keen eye open for bears lurking nearby. The whole scene was exciting for the folks watching from the shuttle.
Karen Walker photo.
The following day the weather deteriorated into full-on blizzard conditions though right after leaving the launch site the group came upon a sow with two coys approaching the rover and lending themselves to excellent photo opportunities. Shortly thereafter, further down the coast road, five large males surrounded the rover. After some sparring in front of the thrilled travelers the bruins began digging snow -beds to take some respite from the blizzard. It actually was quite thrilling for everyone to watch a few of the bears get covered by the drifting and blowing snow. Most of the day was spent in the same area where all these bears were congregating…a great day for photo’s …capturing all the action happening around the land. The increasing windchill forced guests to move in and out of the vehicle to the back observation deck. Despite the cold, travelers were impressed by the power of the Arctic squeezing the land and testing the endurance of the animals bearing its’ burden. Arctic sea smoke steamed in from over the freezing bay pushed by gale force winds. The gusts also allowed for the quick formation of snow drifts. Watching the icy snow crystals blow across the surface was an excellent reference point for Brad to explain the Krumholz affect works on exposed spruce trees. Blizzard, bears and drifting snow..great Arctic weather.
Brad Josephs photo.
Guide’s Eric and Rinnie brought a photo group out to the tundra lodge and caught the tail end of a busy bear season with five to seven bears still in the vicinity. As the ice formed the bears gradually meandered out to the bay. Seeing and photographing the bears out on the ice is a rare occurrence only a few intrepid travelers capture on film. Just prior to the freeze-up, the wind was whipping over the open tundra and the bears were hunkered down. Almost instinctively the bears rose up and headed out. At last report from Churchill the South winds had since pushed the ice out aways and some bears had returned to land. Not long before they will be gone again.
Eric Rock photo.
The final two nights of the season for the photography group unveiled some of the best aurora displays of the entire season. Although Northern lights displays were few and far between this fall, these last couple of nights were absolutely phenomenal to say the least. And, being situated out at the lodge made for even more intense viewing and spectacular images as well. Eric Rock submitted a photo to spaceweather.com and it was published on November 23 on their site. Eric is a veteran at photographing and explaining auroral activity in the Arctic. What a way to finish off a uniquely fantastic polar bear season.
This past Saturday night the Northern Nights hotel in Churchill burnt down to the ground amid high winds and frigid cold temperatures. Miraculously, all occupants were evacuated safely. The fire started around 9pm and within just a few hours the entire structure of linked buildings was destroyed. The attached house, recently converted to guest suites was spared somewhat by the flames but had to be leveled due to structural damage.
Gord and Lynn Martens, the proprietors of the hotel, had recently completed nearly three years of extensive renovations to all phases of the facility and were looking forward to their first profitable year since taking over the business. They worked tirelessly, turning a run -down hotel into a fine tuned, upgraded inn that even served delicious food. The trials they went through and time dedicated to reach that point will never be factored into any monetary reimbursement. We can only send our prayers and thoughts to them and hope they will find some peace in the coming months.
Two Natural Habitat groups were staying at the hotel and were scheduled to leave on Sunday. Guides Brad Josephs and Brent Houston were the group leaders. Local staff and residents assisted in moving all people to the town complex for the evening for shelter and comfort. Everyone was cared for in the true Churchill style of one big family.The rest of the world could surely learn from the caring and hospitality Churchillians display.
The charter flight to Winnipeg scheduled for the following afternoon was pushed to the morning so travelers could get to the Fort Garry hotel to relax and secure lost travel documents. Many people did lose all their personal belongings in the fire and will leave with a tainted memory of what should have been an amazing experience. We wish them all the best and hope they will be able take some good thoughts and memories home as well. Again, we all take some solace in nobody being hurt in this tragedy. If the blaze had started just two hours later it could have been a much different outcome. Everyone is blessed that this did not occur.
The hotel itself was always a quirky mix of buildings spliced together to form one cohesive structure. From the rustic lounge at one end, attached to the the restaurant and kitchen, attached to the original rooms that felt like train cars, attached to the lobby and office, attached to the two-story “newer” rooms with “thin” walls, attached to the house at the other end, the hotel somehow felt like it all belonged. It all worked..well mostly. The people who owned the hotel throughout the years seemed to take on these same characteristics in order to make the business work. They belonged there as well. From Katie and Brett to “Big” Andy to Gord and Lynn…they all brought a natural feel to the hotel. This place was the quintessence of Churchill in how everyone and everything needs to embody many forms and possess multiple skills to survive. The hotel is gone though the memories will endure always.
The Northern Nights will be missed dearly by all who knew its’ spirit …though the spirit of the North will surely live on forever. Bears. belugas and beers forever!
