Welcome to "The Polar Bear Capital of the World" Part 2

Overview
Recently in October, two Louisville Zoo staff members (Education Curator Marcelle Gianelloni and Public Relations Manager Kara Bussabarger) along with Louisville Zoo teen volunteers Emily Goldstein and Brandie Farkas traveled to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada on an all-expense paid trip courtesy of Polar Bears International. [For more information on how they got to go, check out http://www.louisvillezoo.org/projectpolarbear/award.htm.]

By Kara Bussabarger, Public Relations Manager

You think milk is expensive? One visit to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, (the “Polar Bear Capital of the World”) and you might think different.

• A gallon of milk is $8.29 a gallon ($8.75 Canadian).
• Bread is $5.10 a loaf ($5.39 Canadian).
• Peaches are $3.12 a pound ($3.30 a pound Canadian).
• Bananas are $1.63 a pound ($1.72 a pound Canadian).
• Ice Cream bars (package of 6) is $8.80 ($9.29 Canadian).

The prices likely have something to do with the remoteness of Churchill. It is a town of 800 residents and you can’t drive to get there. There are no actual roads to Churchill, there are only two primary modes of transportation to get there—air and rail. And there is only one grocery store in town. Actually is more like a general store—selling clothing, furniture, toys and food.

We were told most of the residents in Churchill live in government apartments. And since housing is on permafrost (ground that is permanently frozen, but sometimes thaws in the summer) the houses often have to be adjusted underneath with jacks to level them out.

While there, the Zoo group stayed at the Tundra Inn (http://www.tundrainn.com/inn.html), a quaint 31-room inn. Note, there are no luxury hotels in Churchill and there is absolutely NO cell phone reception. There is a computer in the Tundra Inn lobby guests can use to communicate back home, or if you bring your laptop, you could utilize the internet connection inside your room.

If you go to Churchill and are not use to the cold weather, be sure to bring warm clothes. We are talking about wearing two pairs of long under wear, three shirts, scarf, hat and two jackets at one time. If you conjure up the image of the small child off the Christmas Story you are on the right track! The average temperature during October is about 20-30 degrees Fahrenheit with an average of 2 hours of sun a day. (http://en.allmetsat.com/climate/north-america.php?code=71913) While this can be a harsh, unrelenting environment, it is also one of the most stunning, magnificent places in the earth.

For more information on the town of Churchill, you can visit their website at http://www.churchill.ca.