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28 g o i n g p l a c e s | s u m m e r 2 0 1 5 getty Call of the North In Thompson, the wolves are always with you – in spirit, at least First in a two-part series on a roadtrip to northern Manitoba by Lea Currie Made in Manitoba Book a stay at Thompson's Best Western and save 10% or more with your CAA membership. Plus, earn 10 CAA Dollars on qualified stays. A s the car enters the city limits of ompson, I can feel the eyes of the wolves following me into town. ey sit on the rocks beside the highway and pose on the lawns of local businesses. Although naturally reclusive, these wolves are more than happy to sit pretty and pose for pic- tures. No, they haven't been tamed; these are sculptures, an ode to the real wolves that reside in the boreal forests surrounding this northern community. ompson isn't the first city that comes to mind when Manitobans think about going on a roadtrip in our beautiful prairie province. It wasn't high on my list either – until I discov- ered that ompson has been designated the "wolf capital of the world." e promise of a unique trip focused on wolves was enough to entice this animal lover into convincing my husband, Mark, to pack up the car and, leaving our own canine safe at home, head out on a summer adventure to the far north. The wolf capital title is an intriguing choice due to the shyness of these creatures, which makes it difficult to assess the number of packs that call the ompson area home. Centuries ago, wolves were commonplace around the northern hemisphere, but due to an unnecessary fear by humans – popular fairy tales take much of the blame – hunters caused their numbers to dwindle. e world wolf population is now most commonly found in Canada, with estimates ranging between 50,000 and 60,000. Although no number can be attached to ompson spe- cifically, Manitoba is said to be home to 4,000 wolves (Stat: Manitoba Conservation), with the majority residing in boreal forest regions, like that surrounding ompson, as well as tundra climates farther north. Thanks to the lack of local farming and ranching, which can create animosity towards foraging wolves, the northern Manitoba com- munity doesn't have human/wolf conflicts that have caused the creatures to be feared and hunted elsewhere. e area's aboriginal com- munity holds wolves in high regard, plus there's an abundance of natural prey in the area, such as caribou, deer, elk and moose. While wolves have called the area home for hundreds of years, the city of ompson was founded in 1958 when nickel was discovered. Despite the negative reputation of mining towns, Thompson has continued to thrive, thanks in large part to the nickel industry and to the city's role as the "Gateway to the North." It makes the perfect rest stop for people travel- ling to and from Churchill and other northern communities. It's due to the wolves, though, that ompson is beginning to make its own tracks in Manitoba's tourism landscape. T he alpha dog of Thompson's man- made wolf pack is a giant 10-storey- tall wolf mural that adorns the city's Manitoba is home to some 4,000 wolves.