1. Home to Manitoba’s oldest Mason Symbol - The oldest Masonic symbol in Manitoba can be seen at Fort Prince of Wales near the mouth of the Churchill River. The fort was constructed by Hudson’s Bay Company stonemasons between 1731 and 1772.
2. Rocket Testing Site – In 1954 the Canadian Army built the Churchill Research Centre, a research complex and rocket launch site initially used to to study the effects of auroras on long distance communications. The rocket testing site was used on and off by both the Canadian and US military from 1955 to 1998 for sub-orbital launches of various sounding rockets during several major studies.
Learn more about Churchill's military history.
3. It’s the Polar Bear AND Beluga capital of the world – Not only is Churchill known as the Polar Bear Capital of the World, but it is also the Beluga Whale Capital of the World. In the summer over 3,000 belugas swim right into the Churchill River.
Get inspired to visit Churchill in the summer.
4. Birder’s heaven – In spring and fall, birders flock to Churchill to see the 250+ species of birds that nest or pass through the area on their annual migrations.
Check out a few of the birds we saw this past year on our top ten 2014 wildlife sightings.
5. No roads lead to Churchill – Churchill is not accessible by road. The only way to travel to Churchill is by a two-day, 1,700km train ride or a 3-hour flight.
There might not be roads to Churchill, but you can still explore Churchill on Google Streetview.
Photo: ©Doug Ross