(l-r) Guide Dr. Paul Watts on the Hudson
Bay shoreline; a polar bear crosses the
tundra; another one greets tourists in a
tundra buggy, which moves at an average
of four km/h with a top speed of 40 km/h;
red currants pop out against the boreal
forest backdrop.
Red Riding Hood. "My, what big paws you have . . . ."
grain delivered here by rail from Western
Canada and beyond. The shipping season
runs from mid-July to the beginning of
November. However, longer ice-free periods
(more about that later) are expected to
increase trading opportunities because
vessels from Russia, Europe and northeast
Asia will be able to use the port, cutting
time from the traditional Atlantic crossings.
The governments of Manitoba and Canada,
along with private sector investors, have
committed millions to upgrade the rail lines
to Churchill as well as the port itself.
Now, cue the bears. Churchill was formerly home to a United States military base,
established in 1942 near the present-day airport. The base was used for cold weather
exercises, training soldiers and testing equipment in harsh conditions. For years, polar
Westworld
p26-33_Life-FurLane.indd 29
>>
fa l l 2 0 1 3
29
13-08-19 8:59 AM