Things to do in Churchill
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Eskimo Museum
The Eskimo Museum is really just a bunch of stuff in an unexciting room with linoleum floors, but there's no denying its charm. The obvious standouts - stuffed polar bear, musk ox, wolf and walrus - are immediate attention-grabbers, but closer inspection reveals tiny arrowheads, big harpoon blades and hundreds of carvings. The staff are informative and approachable, and recorded narratives elicit new appreciation for the people who survived and prospered on such a desolate landscape.
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B
Gypsy's Bakery
Experience Churchill at this fun local hangout. The walk-up counter and cafeteria-style eatery have basic settings with a touch of local charm and the menu is extensive with a touch of international flair, or vice versa. Everything from cappuccino to pastries to grilled char is made fresh and delicious.
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Wapusk National Park
Established primarily to protect polar bear breeding grounds (wapusk is Cree for 'white bear'), the remote and young Wapusk National Park extends along Hudson Bay's shores 45km east of Churchill. Its location between boreal forests and arctic tundra gives it importance for monitoring the effects of global warming. Changes in sea-level, temperature, vegetation, and polar bear and other animal patterns happen here first.
The park's ecological sensitivity has required a lot of proactive thinking and red tape. It's possible to visit, but only through licensed tour operators.
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Fort Prince of Wales
It took 40 years to build and its cannons never fired a shot, but the star-shaped stone Fort Prince of Wales has been standing prominently on rocky Eskimo Point across the Churchill River since the 1770s. As English-French tensions mounted in the 1720s, HBC selected the site for presence and strategy, but surrendered during the first French attack. The walls are currently under a stabilization project but the site can still be toured.
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York Factory National Historic Site
Even more remote, 250km southeast of Churchill, the HBC trading post, the York Factory National Historic Site, near Hayes River, was an important gateway to the interior and active for 273 years until 1957. The stark-white buildings are an amazing sight contrasting with their seemingly middle-of-nowhere setting. York Factory is accessible only by air, boat or (for the very determined and experienced) canoe.
reviewed
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C
St Paul's Anglican Church
The historic and illuminating St Paul's Anglican Church is about 100 times more beautiful on the inside than the outside. The stained-glass windows seen in afternoon light are simply breathtaking. Behind the church is Thanadelthur's Cairn, a small tribute to a Chipewyan woman who helped HBC arrange a treaty between her tribe and the rival Cree, allowing the fort to be built in Churchill.
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Sloop's Cove
Four kilometers south of the fort, Sloop's Cove was a harbor for European vessels during Churchill's harsh winters. The only indications of early explorers are simple yet profound: names such as Samuel Hearn, local 18th-century governor and first to make an overland trip to the Arctic Ocean, are carved into the seaside rocks.
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D
North Star Tours
This third-generation Churchill family has been giving natural and cultural tours for decades. Tour the western banks of Churchill River with Mark to find millennia-old tent rings and European artifacts, and learn everything Churchill you could ever know.
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Cape Merry
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 in its own right and, during summer, belugas can be seen from the shore.
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E
Reef Dining Room
The Seaport Hotel's attached restaurant adds a touch of class with linens and a wooden, open galley setup. It offers the usual northern cuisine. Next door, Pier Bar (open to 01:00) is where late-night crowds flock.
reviewed
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Parks Canada
Parks Canada administers three sites in the area documenting Churchill's varied history. Transportation to the sites is handled by licensed tour operators and the entry fee is included in tour costs.
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G
Sea North Tours
Two words: transparent kayaks. It's pretty much the coolest thing ever to see beluga right under you. Mike's other custom-built tour boat is used daily for marine and flow-ice tours.
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