Churchill Northern Studies Centre

I felt as if I had come home. To me, the Churchill Northern Studies Centre is an extremely comfortable place.

The Churchill Northern Studies Centre is located approximately 20 miles south of town in the midst of the Cape Churchill Wildlife Management Area surrounded by ecosystems that range from remnant boreal forest/muskeg to tundra. During the 1950's and 60's, during that time's rampant Cold-War paranoia, the facility was a military rocket range manned by both Canadian and US military. Below the photos is more information about the CNSC.

Landscapes/ People/ dogsledding

 

Non-credit classes, aka "learning vacations," are offered to the general public at CNSC. Information about these classes can be found by connecting to the CNSC website.

 

 Gordon Point, in the Cape Churchill Wildlife Management Area not too far from the Churchill Northern Studies Centre. The structure is an old "DEW Line" watch tower used during the Cold War to watch for Russki invasion

A number of universities in Canada and the United States offer for-credit classes there as well.

The CNSC offers a smoke-free alternative to the in-town hotels and the only smoke-free dining room in the region. contact them for rates.

Most interestingly, The Churchill Northern Studies Centre also offers a unique opportunity to visitors who are willing to save money by exchanging four hours a day of unpaid volunteer work at the Centre for free room and board. Aside from saving money, the other advantages of pursuing this option include:

Contact them from the website.

 

The people who run it day-to-day seem to change a lot so check the website if you are interested in that information. Some of my most valuable advice for coping with the area's interesting challenges came from one or the other of them. Some of these conversations and incidents have ended up in my sections on polar bear safety and polar bear lore.

You are also likely to meet some other very interesting people at the Centre, including, if you are lucky, Steve, a professional helicopter pilot who--in addition to taking tourists out for jaunts over Hudson Bay and the tundra--is also called upon to airlift drugged polar bears to points farther north for release into the wild. They are captured and held at the Polar Bear Jail when they wander into town thereby a creating dangerous nuisance. Before they can be released, they must be drugged to keep them calm during the flight and their eyes coated with vaseline. A picture of Steve standing over a drugged bear, an explanation of how and why can be found in Wildlife Management, Churchill Style. Steve is the one in the white boots.

At the CNSC, you are also likely meet folks who are part of nature and soft-adventure tour groups; also scientists staying there while conducting research, and even professional wildlife photographers, all of these mixed in with various locals who visit or work at the Centre. These latter are classic far north types. It is an interesting, often charming, crowd.

Meals are served in a group dining room and generally offer one lacto-ovo vegetarian option at each meal, in addition to a hearty northern-style meat main course.

Sleeping quarters are dormatory-style and vary widely from room to room. They range from 4-(bunk)bed rooms with good windows to rather claustrophobic windowless interior 2-bed rooms. Last summer, there were few other visitors during my stay, and I was lucky enough to get one of the 4-bunk rooms all to myself-- a very pleasant circumstance. That would not be the case if classes were going on. If it is crowded and you are stuck with a top bunk, and you fat or old, you might not be very happy.

Water is carted in by truck to the Centre, and visitors are encouraged to use it sparingly. It is wise to take along lightweight synthetic or mixed-fabric clothing that can be hand-washed and dried quickly. Doing laundry at the Centre cost $5 (CDN) a load last time I was there.

Go to Reasons to visit Churchill

Go to Practicalities, by season

Return to The town of Churchill

Return to Introduction to Churchill

2/3/03