Churchill Northern Studies Centre

I am writing this about a third of the way into my 2 day Train journey back to Winnipeg from Churchill which has been my home for the last 6 weeks.

The Churchill Northern Studies Centre is basically a facility for researchers, groups and learning vacations to use to experience and research the Sub-Arctic. It takes on up to 6 volunteers over the year during the busy periods when groups and researchers are staying in the 84 beds available in Dormitories in this new purpose built building that was only opened in June 2011.

Volunteers are basically a helping hand and mainly focus on helping out with dishes and setting up the dining area but we also helped with Housekeeping, admin and stocking and tidying the gift shop and I also helped out with doing the volunteer scheduling which is not as easy as it may seem.

The accommodations are pretty good. We were staying in a slightly larger family room than the other standard size dorm rooms so we got to spread out a little bit more which is nice when we are staying there so long. We also got fed some pretty good cooking 3 meals a day and seeing as one of the cooks used to be a baker there was a lot of baked goods always available for the taking. Say goodbye to skinny waistlines when you come to stay here, I even started making use of the Gym whilst I was there because of the amount of yummy food.

As part of volunteering we also got to participate in some pretty cool outings. I personally got to go on 2 Tundra Buggy Tours (which I wrote about previously) and Dog Carting with Wapusk Adventures (Not enough snow for Sledding L). We also got to go into Churchill to visit the Eskimo Museum and Parks Canada Interpretive Centre as well as just explore the town (which is not that big).

The Great White Bear

As I was here during the Polar Bear Season you are not allowed to leave the building without a bear guard so we took any opportunity to go for a ride even if it was just to go on a Garbage Run or to go Pump Water cause it usually meant we would go on a little side trip down the coastal roads to try and find a Polar Bear which never eventuated but is always good just for the scenery.

Churchill Grain Silos

Overall it was a great way for me to come to Churchill and experience this beautiful place for a little bit longer  than the average tourist without paying the horrendous amounts of money they pay (overall I spent only a little bit of money on Souvenirs and about $800 on Flights and the Train ride). And because I got here early enough I got to see the Tundra in its Fall Colours, first Snow, Blizzard like conditions that took out our Electricity, a lost Black Bear that should of been Hibernating, Ptarmigan in their Summer and Winter colours, Aurora Borealis and most importantly got to see some Polar Bears. It’s a really interesting place to stay and you never know, I might return to Churchill again one day. J

Aurora Borealis

My Long Train Adventure From Winnipeg to Churchill

So as part of my adventure to Churchill to spend six weeks volunteering at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre I had to choose from two options to get to this super remote town on the shores of the Hudson Bay- rail or fly. So whilst flying is much quicker than the 45hrs scheduled train journey it is also 3 times the price ($325 for train return and over $1000 for the plane from Winnipeg) so for the economically challenged we choose the budget option.

I arrived nice and early at Winnipeg’s Union Station and after navigating the current construction works found the Luggage Counter so I could dump my bags and forget about them for 2 days. As it was only 10am and the train didn’t leave till 12.05pm I had pre-planned to head to the Forks Market which is about a 5 min walk from the station and probably the nicest and closest place to find food. I decided to have a quick breakfast at The Pancake House before picking up some baked goodies from the Tall Prairie Bakery (you must try the Cinnamon Buns) as I knew the options on board the train were fairly dismal in selection.

After returning to the station and waiting around for a bit we finally boarded the train and pulled out of the station at 12.10pm and got 5 mins away before stopping on the outskirts of Winnipeg for like 10 mins.

On board the train there was 3 main carriages- a Sleeper Car (for the people who want to fork out more money to get a proper bed to sleep on), an Economy car where all us poor folk get to sit with plenty of leg room and not many passengers (maybe 15 people to begin with and down to 10 people by Saskatchewan before getting a few more locals hopping on and off for the grocery run to Thompson) and a dining car with only a small selection of takeaway style food but they do serve alcoholic drinks.

The journey takes you past fairly similar terrain for the first day of the journey with mainly just prairies and a small section where you can see the Riding Horse Mountain Range in the distance. Other than that not much except for a Mother Black Bear and her 2 cubs that I happened to sleep through L

Having been on this train, I now understand why it takes so long to cover such a short distance as the train seems to crawl along at a speed similar to walking.

The train doesn’t stop very often though, but it does seem to stop by random roads to let locals off next to there waiting friends and families in there cars.

On the Second Day of the Journey the Train stops in Thompson for a 5hr scheduled stop if it gets there on time. My train arrived just before 3pm so there was only about 2hrs to make the 1km walk into the Thompson to visit the Mall and stock up on goodies. Its also a good place to buy anything else you may have forgotten as there is also a Walmart in the Mall which is much cheaper then the one Store in Churchill. So just before 5pm everyone piles back onto the train including many locals doing there grocery run and tourists who have driven all the way up to Thompson. They also add an extra Engine on here cause its a long way if one breaks down.

After Thompson there are only 1 or 2 stops before Churchill, so after a stop in Gillam the train has a long slow run up to Churchill. This part of the journey is the slowest and bumpiest as it is very hard for the tracks to be maintained as there is no road North of Gillam. So if you get a little motion sickness then beware.

By this point in the journey it is Boreal Forest and by 9am you should be in Churchill. My train arrived by 8.30am which is apparently fairly out of the ordinary for this train.

Overall, it’s not a bad journey, just remember to take plenty of food on board as the dining car serves only Microwave meals but you can get them to give you hot water and they will Microwave stuff for you. Also, if the train is quite empty try to get a set of four seats facing each other as this will be a more comfy nights sleep. And bring a Sleep Mask, Pillow, Blanket and Ear Plugs cause otherwise it will be a much more uncomfortable journey. Oh, and plenty of things to read and watch, and make friends with people on the train. I would recommend catching the plane back though if you can afford it. 

If you want more information on this train journey and prices head to Via Rails Website-http://www.viarail.ca/