Fort Churchill

Churchill


Amid the undulating rocks, late-season ice and scraggy, stunted trees looms a Cold War relic. Just north of the airport, Fort Churchill was Canada's Cape Kennedy. Starting in 1954, over 3500 small rockets were launched from here on military and scientific missions.

Pondering the abandoned and crumbling remains of the complex is both fascinating and eerie.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Churchill attractions

1. Miss Piggy

0.33 MILES

Out toward the airport lies the wreck of a Curtiss C-46 freight plane that crashed here in 1979 after developing engine trouble, but without a single…

2. Polar Bear Jail

0.5 MILES

Located in a former aircraft hangar near the airport, this secure facility serves as holding center for problem polar bears who repeatedly turn up in…

3. Itsanitaq Museum

3 MILES

This one-room museum showcases an exceptional collection of Inuit carvings made of whalebone, soapstone and caribou antler, as well as millennia-old…

4. Parks Canada Museum

3.2 MILES

There's a small museum and nature center in the train station along with the Parks Canada info desk. It has a good model of the fort and excellent nature…

5. Cape Merry

4.6 MILES

A lone cannon behind a crumbling wall is all that's left of the battery built at Cape Merry, 2km northwest of town. It's an incredibly beautiful location…