Churchill, Manitoba: Way up north on Hudson Bay near the Arctic Circle. I'd noticed Churchill on maps for years and wondered what was there. I'd watched public television documentaries on polar bears in the Churchill area. When a friend told me about the trip to Churchill to watch the polar bear migration I was hooked. Though she said it was an expensive trip and had to be scheduled well in advance, I started putting my trip together late in July of 1997. The challenge was to put it together six months late and on a budget. Ultimately, most likely benefiting from tour cancellations, I did both.
In late July I started doing my homework and investigating the various parts of the trip, including transportation, lodging, and tundra buggy tours. It didn't take long to find that lodging was going to be the most difficult of the three. I bought a Lonely Planet travel guide, Canada - A Travel Survival Kit, which was most helpful as it included not only descriptions of various options but also many phone numbers.
To make a long story short (I have a way of making long stories even longer), I soon found that the VIA Rail Canada schedule had three trains a week from Winnipeg to Churchill, with departures Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. 
All depart Winnipeg about 20:00 and arrive in Churchill about 8:30 the second day. The result of the schedule is that you spend either three days and two nights (if you depart on Sunday or Tuesday) or four days and three nights (if you depart on Thursday). Calling all motels in Churchill, I initially was able to find accommodations only for Sunday and Monday nights of fall break week. Then, on a long shot, I called one of the bed and breakfasts. As it turned out, the owner didn't have a room but she thought her brother, who had just started a host home (a bed and breakfast without the breakfast), might have. Minutes later I was talking to him and had that essential third night nailed down. The trip , by default due to room availability, became four days and three nights.
Comfort/Supersaver (Economy) class rail tickets (latest quote: C$326.48 in
October 2007) weren't hard to get (sleeper car accommodations are much harder to come by). Check with the official
VIA Rail Canada site for current schedule and rate information.
Finally October 16 arrived and I drove north on I-29 as far as Fargo, North Dakota. There wasn't a lot to see along the way, but focusing on the adventure ahead the miles passed quickly and before I knew it I was doing a little last minute shopping in Winnipeg and preparing to board the train at 10pm.
One of the challenges I faced was finding convenient long term parking for my car. I had inquired earlier of the VIA Rail agent I bought the tickets from, but the information turned out to be a little misleading. Ultimately, the best solution turned out to be the parking garage across the alley behind the
Hotel Fort Garry. It was just about a block from the VIA Rail station and only C$6.50 per day. Parking the car after dinner, it was only a short walk with the backpacks to the train station. Backpacks appear to be the luggage of choice for regulars on the train. After arriving at the station about half an hour early, the train rolled out precisely on schedule at 22:00. The adventure was on!
The rail trip to Churchill, while long, was an interesting part of the overall experience. There were few enough passengers leaving Winnipeg that the conductor came through the car and turned pairs of seats such that they faced each other, essentially giving a micro-suite of sorts. 
The first night I basically slouched in my seat and slept as best I could, which was not too well. Morning finally arrived, and with it a good basic breakfast in the dining car. Prices for breakfast were in the C$3 to C$6 range and service was very good. About 9:30 the train arrived in The Pas and passengers could get off to explore the downtown area briefly during the 40 minute stop. Like many small towns of its size, the business district was near the rail station and the town had a well-ordered, clean look.
Back on board, the train continued across the prairie and it wasn't long until it was lunch time. Lunch in the dining car was in the C$5 to C$7 range and was quite good. Scenery in the afternoon began to include more varied landscapes as we entered areas of lakes and forests. Books are a good thing to have along to pass the long hours. There would have been a lot of prairies, lakes and forests without a good book! Passengers become dining car pros by dinner time of the first day and most enjoy every minute of it. Dinner was very good, with a nice menu selection and prices were in the C$8 to C$15 range.
The second night was better than the first. Observing the "regulars" on the train revealed that they raised the foot rests on facing pairs of seats to make a more or less flat surface approximately five foot across. Then the back cushions were laid down onto the seat cushion to make it as flat as possible. Coats were the blanket of convenience. Such became the "bed" in the little micro-suite the second night and for both nights on the return trip. Sleep was somewhat better depending, of course, on how sound a sleeper one is. Throughout the night the train stopped at several villages, never for more than a couple of minutes. It was interesting, and worth opening my eyes, to look out the window to see the small size of the villages. And it was fascinating to imagine what life would be like in such a remote environment - especially in the winter!
First day: The train arrived in Churchill about 8:30am. The weather was cloudy and cold, probably in the 20s Fahrenheit. 
We shouldered our backpacks and started toward Steve Gould's to stash our things, only to be picked up less than a block from the train station by a bus from one of the tour companies. The driver inquired about where we were headed, and, since everyone must know where everyone else lives in Churchill, we were delivered almost to Gould's front door! This was our first encounter with Churchill hospitality, but far from the last.
After leaving Gould's, we went first to the Parks Canada Museum to see what it had to offer. The staff of the museum was most helpful in answering our questions and the exhibits were quite interesting. We had lunch at Gypsy's Bakery and then went to the Eskimo Museum. There were quite a few interesting exhibits and we enjoyed browsing for a couple of hours. Then we went back to the Parks Canada Museum for a video presentation at 3:00. Come time for dinner we found that evening reservations are important in Churchill. Several restaurants we inquired at couldn't seat us until 8:30 or 9:00. Finally, we got in to the Lazy Bear Cafe and enjoyed our first good meal in Churchill. Following dinner, we took in a movie at the Towne Center (movies Friday and Saturday nights) where we saw Conspiracy Theory.
Second day: This was our day to watch bears! The school bus picked us up at Gould's about 8:00 and we drove for half an hour or so east of town to the tundra buggy staging area where we got on a small blue tundra buggy with five other bear enthusiasts. 
Kevin, our driver, did a nice job of positioning us to watch bears and take pictures, and certainly was well informed about both bears and the region. We had lunch on the buggy and it was great, especially the clam chowder. I must have had four or five cups! Finally around 4:00 we started back toward town with a brief stop by the Polar Bear Compound. Dinner was at the Traders' Table, and we enjoyed it so much that we made reservations for the following night before we left.
Third day: Exploring around town is an experience in itself so the third day was devoted to in-town exploration. After sleeping in, we had breakfast at the Churchill Restaurant. Then we stopped by the Northern, a general store ideal for a general shopping experience, and then looked at parkas in the Polar Motel's clothing shop. 
Next I called Paul Ratson whom I had talked to before I left Omaha. He runs Adventure Walking Tours (now
Nature First Tours) and told me that he closes down his walking tour business when the bears arrive. Paul said that he would be glad to have coffee with us so we met him at the Churchill Restaurant about 10:00. He is an outstanding example of Churchill hospitality, making us feel genuinely welcome. We ask questions almost nonstop for an hour before he had to get back to work. Lunch was at the Northern Nights Cafe, and then we walked around town taking pictures and video of all kinds of things. Dinner was at the Traders' Table again, and we were greeted with a smile of recognition. It was a fantastic dinner.
Fourth day: We still hadn't explored the area outside of Churchill, so we rented a green Ford pickup and set out after breakfast at the Tundra Dining Room. First we went to Cape Merry, then drove through town and saw Miss Piggy and the Akudlik Marsh before returning to town for lunch at the Bakery. Then we headed east of town, past the
Churchill Northern Studies Centre, past Akjuit Aerospace, and toward the end of the road. About 3:00 the sun came out for the first time and the light just exploded the snow. The blue sky with small clouds presented all kinds of opportunities for fascinating photography. Looking at my pictures on return, I appear to have been obsessed with the launch facility at Akjuit Aerospace. There were, however, lots of interesting things. We returned to Churchill in time for one more dinner at the Traders' Table which was, by now, a special place. Our train was scheduled to depart at 10:00pm and we drove to the station, leaving the keys under the floor mat.