A blizzard
blew into Churchill the night before our arrival, so we were greeted with new
fallen snow.
In
1610, Henry Hudson discovered the Hudson Straight, which is named for him, and
in 1619 Jens Munck, a Dane, discovered the mouth of the Churchill River. Only
Munck, and two other members of his team, survived that harsh winter. In the
spring, indigenous people discovered the bodies of those who subsumed and
buried them near the river they called River of Strangers.
In
1686, John Abraham discovered the Churchill River, which he named after Lord
Churchill, the then governor of the Hudson Bay Company. In 1912 the borders for
the province of Manitoba were defined and established. Churchill is 700 air miles from Winnipeg, Manitoba’s capitol, or
a 1000 mile train ride. No roads connect Churchill to the outside world so one
must arrive either by train or plane.
Building
of the railroad commenced in 1911, and in 1929 train service started in Churchill. The railroad was
crucial for shipment of grain, from southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan, to
grain elevators in Churchill. Even today, Churchill remains the northern most
terminus for the railroad.
Over 3000
men worked at a frantic pace to complete the 70,000 ton (2.5 million bushel)
grain handling facility by 1931. The complex can load 60,000 bushels of grain
an hour. The elevators define the
skyline, and are a symbol of the town’s historic growth. Ships, from all over
the world, still go to Churchill to fill their holds with grain. It is not
uncommon for ships to stay off shore for several days, before they can enter the port. Churchill is the only
international harbor on Hudson Bay, and its seaport is 1000 miles closer to
Europe than it is to Montreal. There is a 12 foot tide in the Churchill area.
Churchill
lies in the middle of the endless Canadian tundra, and is the same latitude as
Stockholm, Sweden and Oslo, Norway. Here, in the polar bear capitol of the world the aurora borealis or northern
lights are clearly visible certain times
of the year. Extremes and contrasts
characterize the small town of Churchill established in 1700. The present town, about 80 years old, is
rich in history. (The town was moved across the river after the building of the
grain facility.)
The confluence of four regions creates
four large and distinct habitats. There is a wealth of natural life in the Churchill area.
The Churchill River lies to the north, the salty Hudson Bay to the east, and the
tree line to the south and west. Since 1980, Churchill has become an
internationally renowned center for wildlife research and ecotourism. It is one
of the most easily accessible human habitats to view the Northern Lights,
beluga whales, arctic and sub-arctic birds, and polar bears in the wild.
Dogs are not allowed to run loose in
Churchill. Most of the housing in
Churchill is owned by the Province of Manitoba.
Houses are built above ground on pillars sunk deep into the permafrost.
The air space between the floor and the ground prevents heat from melting the
permafrost which would create a real mess. Wind whistles pretty good under the
house, so most houses now are skirted, and the buildings are well insulated. The city’s water is pumped from upstream in
the Churchill River. It is heated three times before actually reaching the
faucet in a building. All the pipes are sunk well underground, and water is
kept moving all the time. The old fire
house houses oil spill equipment. A 925-foot runway is always kept cleared. The
largest jet could land in an emergency---here in the middle of nowhere! It’s nice
to know that there is a safe emergency landing,
St. Paul’s Anglican Church was on the east side of the
river until 1892. The pretty little church was built in England, taken apart,
and shipped to Churchill, where the minister reassembled it--- with a little
help. Quite a character, this minister! He’d see a parishioner, invite him home
to visit, then add, “And bring your hammer and tools with you.” After awhile when
seeing the minister, people started ducking around the corner.
While
roofing, the minister fell, breaking several ribs. He was most distraught, as
he was anxious to finish his
church. Being the creative man he was, he decided
his wife’s corset would make a good brace for those broken ribs---not a bad
thought!.
Meanwhile
a high tide washed much of his roofing materials into the bay. It took the poor
man two weeks, but he finally retrieved all the parts with incoming tides, and
eventually the church was completed.
When
the church moved from the east side of the river, it was put on a sled and
moved across the frozen river. Later,
when storm tides lapped at its front door, the church was again moved up the
hill, to its present location.
In the midst of the uncompromising
wilderness, sits a multi-million dollar modern health and recreation
facility. The present population, of
about 750, enjoy life here as a mix of modern technology and traditional skills.
Churchill has a post office and its own special stamp which many of us had stamped
in our passports. The tourist industry is limited by the motel and restaurant
number and capacity. So no big cruise ships visit, as the passengers would
overrun the town. It’s a quaint little town and we had a wonderful time—in
spite of the fact that I do not like cold weather. My friend had been at me for
three years to make this trip and I finally relented when I realized I could
borrow my daughter’s ski clothing. I stayed comfy warm and am grateful I did a
friend a favor, as she died the following spring.
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