Lessons from Churchill

Polar bear of ‘polar rock’? Due to the low light conditions, the rocky landscape outside of Churchill, close to the bay, and the fact that polar bears are in fact not white and tend to sleep quite a bit this time of year, it is easy to mistake a rock for a polar bear. Hence the frequent question in Churchill, is this a ‘polar bear’ or a ‘polar rock’?

A polar bear sleeps among the rocks (C) WWF-Canada/ Juliana Dutkay
Everybody leaves their front door unlocked. People in Churchill do not lock their front doors nor their cars, so that if anyone walking on the town streets runs into a bear, they can easily find safe refuge. Running into the majestic predator is not all that likely given the town’s successful Polar Bear Alert program, but then again, you can never be 100 per cent sure, so safety comes first!
Trees only have branches on one side. As the wind is blowing hard from the Hudson Bay, especially in the winter, trees only grow branches on the side that is not facing the blasting winds.  These are known as flag trees, since they look a bit like they’re flying flags!

Who said there are no lattes in the Arctic? Churchill’s only espresso machine is at the Gypsy’s restaurant and pastry shop. Word is that Martha Stewart brought the machine during her visit in town last year.