Churchill at last!

July 11, 2019

Debbie slept like a log, I could hear her snoring, but I had a fitful sleep.  The train stopped many times throughout the night, to disembark passengers to the various settlements.  Because we are travelling through the boreal forests, the rail bed is built on the muskeg and is very soft.  As the train travels along it rocks side to side and travels very slowly. 

We are used to small spaces now so having a shower in the sleeper car was no problem and quite enjoyable.  It was time for breakfast and we were welcomed in the dining car by the host and we sat with Mike.  We learned that Mike is a professor of mathematics and has travelled to many interesting places. I did poorly in mathematics so that part of the conversation did not last long.  He is attending a conference in Winnipeg and decided to make a “side trip” to Churchill. He had booked the Churchill Hotel and planned his excursions for his time in Churchill.  

Leroy also joined us.  Leroy lives in Churchill and is travelling back with his family after spending time in Winnipeg.  Leroy owns and operates the propane company in Churchill, and is also the fire chief. We had lots of questions for Leroy as he explained the winter of 2015 that almost wiped out the community and caused all the floods in the spring.  These floods wiped out the railroad, the main source of supplies for Churchill.  After three years of political wrangling the railroad was finally rebuilt, so the community suffered for three years in getting food and necessary supplies. Leroy told us that that winter the community almost ran out of propane.  All of the homes and buildings are heated with propane.  He explained how he managed to bring in 150 large propane cylinders by rail just in time. The community worked together to assist the elderly and disabled to make sure that they were looked after during temperatures that dropped down to -55 degrees for a long period.  They also experienced above average snowfall that further caused more danger.  It is clear that Leroy loves his community and that there is a strong sense of community in Churchill.

We then went back to the dome car to watch the wilds of Manitoba pass by.  The boreal forest stretches out as far as the eye can see. The trees are stunted in growth.  Mainly white and black spruce with tamarack and pine and the occasional aspen interspersed.  The ground cover consists of white hillocks of caribou lichens and low growing bushes. Throughout the forest floor are small ponds called melt ponds.  These ponds fill with water from the melting snow and slowly evaporate through the short summer months.  Many small lakes dot the landscape and are homes for the waterfowl and wildlife.  They are also the breeding grounds for mosquitoes. We were looking for moose and caribou but did not see any wildlife.  It truly is an unforgiving environment. 

The dome car soon was the home for all of the Churchill travellers.  We sat in small groups telling stories of our lives, watching the landscape, commenting on what we see, and anticipating what we would find in Churchill.  

We met David and Susan from Toronto.  When they found out that we were booked for the supply ship from Sept Isles in September they told us they had taken that trip last year!  They told us what we can expect and that they had thoroughly enjoyed it.  They also encouraged us to spend at least four weeks in Newfoundland and that Newfoundland is their favorite province.  

When it was time for lunch we left the dome car and met again in the dining car.  This time we sat with Emmet and Karen.  Again the unexpected happened.  Emmet and Karen live in Brandon and they also own a cottage in Riding Mountain National Park and they also know John and Tammy and know of our friends Bill and Carol! It always amazes me how people can connect to each other.  Karen was suffering from motion sickness and could only come up to the dome car occasionally. Throughout the afternoon people would come and go and we would ask each other where we were. Traci had a Manitoba map and would announce the little stops that we came to. Later in the evening we found out that we could buy liquor in the club car so some of us went down and paid the $9.00 for a bottle of beer.  Supper was served and we sat with Max and Traci.  Throughout the day, the meals and snacks were delicious. 

About an hour out of Churchill the landscape changed drastically. Suddenly the boreal forest ended and the tundra began.  The landscape was rocky with very few trees. The trees that were there were spindly and had no branches on the north side.  We later found out that although the trees were less than 12 feet high they were well over 300 years old.  Also in the dips were more melt ponds surrounded by lichen and ground cover that had tiny flowers and berries.   

We could see Hudson Bay in the distance.  We could see the tall grain elevators standing above the low homes and buildings.  The train had to shunt around on the tracks and eventually backed up to the train station. We were supposed to arrive in Churchill at 5:00 pm, however we finally arrived at 9:30pm.  The trip turned out to be a twenty-hour trip!

When we arrived at the terminal, a man approached us and said, “You must be Bill and Debbie.  I’m Jason your guide from Lazy Bear Resort”.  He took our bags that we were carrying.  In the lobby of the terminal is a stuffed polar bear standing on its hind legs to greet the passengers.  We had to take a photo of that.  Lazy Bear Resort is approximately one kilometer from the train station on the main street of Churchill.  Jason gave us a short tour of the town showing where the post office, banks, liquor store are and then brought us to the resort.  The resort is a long two-story log building.  Inside the restaurant the tables and chairs are made of wood and a stone fireplace is in the centre of the room.   Our room was on the second floor, with two queen size beds and all the furniture of a modern hotel room.  The bathroom is modern and spacious.  After we had checked in and Erin the receptionist oriented us, it was time to go to bed and rest as we were both tired but excited to see what tomorrow would bring.