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Churchill, Manitoba: Northern lights and Art in the Sub-Arctic
Embark aboard the train for an unique journey and a memorable stay in Churchill. Nearly two days of travel on the rails toward the Far North to discover the breathtaking lands of Hudson Bay. The unique beauty of the northern lights and the cultural richness of Churchill's local communities will take you on a journey through time. A colorful stay awaits you there, here's an example.
The sky turns pink as my mother and I disembark from the train in Churchill, Manitoba, in Hudson Bay. We spent the night in our berths being rocked by the train's rolling motion, crossing the boreal forest and taiga to finally arrive at our destination as the sun rises over the Hudson Bay tundra. We traveled all this way to admire the northern lights and all the cultural richness of this region of Canada.
Visiting Churchill Station and its surroundings
The Churchill station, built in 1929, houses the Parks Canada museum that informs us about the region's history and ecology. I have the chance to enter a replica of an Omaskekow Cree family's summer house and observe shoe buckles discovered at the York Factory National Historic Site, a Hudson's Bay Company trading post from the 17th century located 200 km south of the city, near Wapusk National Park.
Closer to Churchill, the imposing Fort Prince of Wales, built over a 40-year period in the 16th century, already welcomed the first sky admirers. And to add even more magic to this unique and colorful spectacle, Frontiers North also organizes gourmet evenings worthy of the finest establishments to observe the enchantment of the northern lights up close.
How to get to Churchill by train?
Winnipeg is the central point to reach to get to the northern territories of Churchill. The route is beautiful and easily accessible once aboard the train. The onboard services and cabins are ideal for enjoying the landscapes.
From Montréal
- The first stop will be at Toronto station.
- Then board The Canadian heading to Winnipeg station where you'll stop to take your final connection toward the Far North, Churchill.
From Vancouver
- Board The Canadian to stop at Winnipeg station.
- Then, head to the Far North with Churchill as your final destination..
From Toronto
- Go to Toronto station and board The Canadian heading to Winnipeg.
- Once in Winnipeg, final stretch toward Churchill.
From Winnipeg
- Board the train to Churchill and let yourself be carried away by the beauty of the landscapes unique to this region of Canada.
It's still early and Churchill has much to offer while the sun still shines on the horizon. Once settled at the Tundra Inn, where I fall for a magnificent pair of mukluks (moccasins) made of black seal skin displayed in the hotel lobby, we set off to explore the area.
Observing the northern lights near the station
In the heart of winter, Hudson Bay is frozen and polar bears venture far from the coast. "Since little moisture escapes from the bay, the sky clears and we have many cloudless nights," explains local guide and photographer Alex de Vries. Churchill sits directly under a magnetic loop made up of energy particles that makes it conducive to spectacular northern lights displays, especially between January and March.
Alex, Natural Habitat Adventures, and other tour operators, including Aurora Domes and North Star Tours, take northern lights enthusiasts to various locations, including the Aurora Pod, a greenhouse-like structure heated by a pellet stove, and the Aurora Domes observatory. You can certainly admire the skies through the glass ceiling, nice and warm, but if you want to take the photo of the century, "you'll need to arm yourself with courage and brave the Arctic's freezing cold," adds Alex de Vries.
With our stomachs rumbling, we weigh our dining options, which are less diverse in winter. Forget your prejudices about hospital food. Here, the hospital cafeteria, also located in the Town Centre Complex, offers a succulent menu of dishes made on-site, plus a magnificent view of the bay. The other choice is the Seaport Hotel restaurant, whose Arctic char literally melts in your mouth.
Reaching the Far North and its wildlife
The following day, we set off to discover the surroundings aboard North Star's bus. We visit the port whose closure created controversy and follow the same routes that the tour operator uses for its nighttime excursions, along Hudson Bay's rugged coastline. We stop to photograph a red fox and take hundreds of shots of polar bears. We see the fuselage of the Miss Piggy plane, which crashed in 1979, and end our journey at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre.
True northern enthusiasts can indulge here by taking six-day educational vacations on northern lights and subarctic wildlife. At the Hudson Bay aquarium, we meet underwater creatures, then climb the spiral staircase that leads us to the northern lights observation dome. Looking west, I can see the rocket launcher, a remnant of the Churchill Research Rocket Range active in the 1950s and from which more than 3,500 rockets were launched to study the upper atmosphere.
How to get there?
In January and February (best time to observe northern lights), North Star bus company offers all-inclusive excursions from Churchill center. Visit the website for more discovery of Hudson Bay's fauna and flora.
It's not yet dark and the sky is overcast, but you can admire the pink glow of sunset on the horizon in the distance. I can already imagine the magic of what awaits us later. "Even though the auroras manifest several hundred kilometers above us, sometimes you feel like you can almost touch them," explains Alex de Vries at the Discovery gallery.
Discovering authentic local culture
The Itsanitaq Museum offers hundreds of Inuit artworks carved from whale bones, walrus tusks, or soapstone, among other materials. I also learn in the well-stocked bookstore of the souvenir shop that, according to an ancient Inuit belief, the northern lights would embody the souls of ancestors playing ball with a walrus skull.
Our learning about Inuit art continues at the Town Centre Complex where numerous brightly colored tapestries illustrating legends and scenes from daily life are displayed. They were made in the 1970s by women from Baker Lake, in the Northwest Territories, thanks to a government donation of materials. It's the largest collection of its kind. The Arctic Trading Company shop also offers numerous craft pieces. Its moccasins are made in the adjacent workshop from furs from local trapping. They also sell beaded embroidery, Inuit sculptures, and caribou hair tufting works. "Tufting is an old art form," explains owner Penny Rawlings. Developed in 1920, this technique uses dyed tufts of moose and caribou hair to create three-dimensional images.
At Bayport Plaza, a few streets away, we can admire in a window display the work of former métis Myrtle deMeulles who has her own interpretation of this art form. We also take the opportunity to learn about weekly polar bear activities posted at the Manitoba conservation office.
The road is long and beautiful to Churchill. Time stops and gives way to the beauty of landscapes and the richness of Indigenous peoples. The encounters are enriching and help bridge the gap between communities and strengthen the bonds that unite us. From Churchill station, setting off on an Arctic adventure is possible and unforgettable!
About the author
Lauren Carter has never stopped exploring the world through words. An award-winning Canadian author of six books, she weaves narratives between fiction and poetry from her home located on the banks of the Red River, in Treaty No. 1 territory and the homeland of the Métis nation, near Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada. Her choice of words inspires the desire to escape and discover distant lands.
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