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| Located on the South Western shores of Hudson Bay at the mouth of the historic Churchill River, Manitoba's most northern community, Churchill is approximately 966 air kms from Winnipeg. The community is accessible by air, rail and water.
Churchill is the northern terminus of the Hudson Bay Rail line, which makes its way through northern Manitoba. The airport has a 9,200 ft runway capable of landing the largest aircraft, as well as a 5,000 ft gravel runway. In 1998 a new airport terminal was constructed. Calm Air and Kivalliq Air operate daily flights to and from Winnipeg and into the Kivalliq District of Nunavut. Calm Air also offers three flights a week to and from Thompson. Skyward Aviation offers scheduled flights to Thompson and Nunavut.
True to Churchill's stature as a transportation hub, the Northern Transportation Company Ltd. (NTCL) operates an extensive re-supply system from the Port of Churchill. This includes resupply barges to the Kivalliq District of Nunavut during the shipping season. Along with the ocean going vessels which arrive to export grain and other commodities, the Port offers the capacity and potential to import a variety of products from offshore.
The tourism sector continues to grow in Churchill. The tourist seasons can be broken down into four distint categories.
Bird Watchers' Paradise: late May to August gives visitors the chance to see many varied species of birds including the rare Ross' Gull.
Beluga Whales: July and August allow viewers the opportunity to see thousands of Beluga which move into the warmer waters of the Churchill River Estuary.
Polar Bear Capital of the World: the polar bears congregate in the area in anticipation of the freeze over of Hudson Bay. The peak viewing season is early October to mid November.
Northern Lights: January to March offers nature's own light show, the Aurora Borealis. Churchill is one of the best places in the world to view this spectacular sight.
The Churchill River has been designated a Heritage River by the federal government. This recognizes the river's importance in opening up western Canada to the fur trade as well as navigation and mapping. In 1998 a Weir was built at Goose Creek on the Churchill River to hold back water and increase the fish habitat. A marina was also built, allowing boaters to access the Churchill River.
Nearly four thousand years before the first Europeans arrived in North America this part of the world was home to successive waves of Aboriginal peoples, including the Predorset, Thule, Cree, Dene and Inuit people.
After the last ice age both the glaciers and the Tyrell Sea retreated leaving the rebounding and newly exposed land available to plant and wildlife colonization. Aborginal people traveled into the area and made use of the seasonal cycles of game, fish and berries.
European explorers seeking the Northwest Passage instead founda wealth that rivaled the far east. The Hudson's Bay Company and the fur trade changed the face of North America. The first European people to settle in Western Canada came first to York Factory and Churchill.
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