Admiring the not-so wildlife
Forget TV — this is prime time for bear watching across Canada. Here’s where to admire the majestic creatures
Polar bears lazing about before winter among the sights to see.
As we motored out of the Churchill River estuary in Churchill, Man., heading toward a pod of beluga whales and the clear blue water of Hudson Bay (Hudson Bay!), I had the sense of entering a Canadian landscape so iconic, it scarcely seemed real.
The rugged north feels like so much a part of our national identity that the first time I caught sight of the Arctic tundra, it almost felt familiar. Squinting out of an airplane window, I’d fully expected to see a polar bear. But now, as we plied the waters along Hudson Bay’s multi-hued coastline, I learned that during summer and fall, the sea’s edge is where I’d most likely see a bear.
Although polar bears are often pictured hunting on ice floes or playing in the snow, our guide from Lazy Bear Lodge explained that this is the season when the majestic creatures mainly fast, and fat reserves begin running low. To conserve energy as they wait for winter, the big bears spend their time lazing on rocks, occasionally going for a leisurely swim. Or, as we soon spotted on our trip along the coastline, taking naps among the wildflowers.
The bear’s white coat stood out brightly against the green carpet of junipers and purple fireweed. Occasionally it would stretch or roll over — eliciting oohs and aahs from its boatbased fan club. Around us, dozens of belugas were feeding on a small fish called capelin, while Arctic terns hovered above.
It was such a picture of abundance that I could almost understand why some Churchill residents still question the clear science of climate change. But a pretty scene doesn’t change the fact that the sea ice — which used to freeze in early November and melt in July — is solid for fewer and fewer days with each passing year. And the bears that rely on the pack ice in order to hunt seals are increasingly vulnerable.
When visiting a species at risk involves flights and fossil fuels, there’s an inherent cost. That’s why I hesitated when first planning my trip to Churchill. There’s a train that runs from Winnipeg to the northern Manitoba town, which would have been a more environmentally friendly option, but schedule-wise it didn’t work out. So, I sought balance by learning about the work that travel outfitters in Churchill are doing to make wildlife viewing as low
impact as possible.
Recently, Frontiers North Adventures began working with Red River College to convert their Tundra Buggy fleet to electric vehicles. Wapusk Adventures has purchased e-bikes and will be offering tours of the town’s murals and nearby coastal roads (with their incredible bird life).
Several operators, including Sea North Tours, offer whale viewing by kayak or standup paddle board, a low-impact and intimate way to see (and occasionally be bumped by) belugas.
And to improve food security, Lazy Bear has been experimenting with tending to their own greenhouse, growing produce like tomatoes, rhubarb and pears for their popular restaurant.
These efforts to make tourism less damaging go hand in hand with encouraging people to stay longer and do more than fly in to tick polar bears off a bucket list. I quickly realized I could have happily spent a week or more in Churchill. Between learning the history at Cape Merry and Prince of Wales Fort National Historic Site, exploring for bird life, from sandhill cranes to eider ducks, and seeing intriguing geologic forms and diverse Artic wildlife, there was so much to do.
When our flight south did take off, my nose was again at the window. This time I had a fuller understanding of the land I was looking down on. But even though I knew better, I still kept an eye out for polar bears. More destinations for bear watching
Late summer and early fall are also peak bear viewing season over on the West Coast. Here’s where to go in British Columbia.
Grizzlies
When the coho salmon arrive to spawn (roughly Sept. 1 to Oct. 15), Bella Coola and Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, B.C., are host to large concentrations of grizzlies. Tweedsmuir Park Lodge’s Grizzly Bear Safaris run for three to five days and include guided walks and river drifts.
You can also do no-cost viewing, with provincial park rangers, in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park at the Fisheries Pool Campground and the Belarko
Wildlife Viewing Area. Black bears
Ocean Outfitters in Tofino, B.C., seeks out Ursus americanus vancouveri, an older subspecies on Vancouver Island, which are larger and darker than mainland black bears. In Haida Gwaii, B.C., Haida Style Expeditions combines Indigenous cultural tours with bear and whale viewing and keeps an eye out for Ursus americanus carlottae, the largest black bear, which can be cinnamon-coloured. The most famous subspecies of black bear, however, is the elusive white-furred Kermode or spirit bear; tours to their habitat in the Great Bear Rainforest are offered by Spirit Bear Lodge.
Planning to go bear viewing in B.C.? Ensure your guide is certified by the Commercial Bear Viewing Association of BC, which advocates for the protection of bears and their habitat. The organization played a role in stopping the grizzly trophy hunt in B.C. in 2017 by arguing that the bears are worth more alive than as a hunter’s prize.