Churchill Manitoba
I woke up early in Phoenix, knowing this trip would be different from any I had taken before. Churchill, Manitoba had been on my list for a long time, and in the first week of July, I finally made it happen. I flew from Phoenix to Winnipeg with a layover in Alberta. The air already felt different when I stepped off the plane in Manitoba. It was cooler, quieter, and slower in rhythm. I stayed the night in Winnipeg, resting before catching the VIA Rail train the next day.
The train from Winnipeg to Churchill is one of the longest continuous rides in North America, nearly 40 hours end to end. It moves at its own pace through forests, swamps, and open tundra. I watched the landscape change for two days straight, from green to gray to barren. It was hypnotic and almost meditative. I knew that any place this difficult to reach had to be special.
When I arrived in Churchill, I checked into the Lazy Bear Lodge. Built from reclaimed logs, it felt like something out of another time. The first day there was Canada Day, and I was lucky enough to catch the local parade. The entire town of a few hundred people came out to celebrate, waving flags and cheering in the streets. Afterward, I took a guided tour of Churchill itself. The history runs deep here, from fur trading and Arctic exploration to its role as a northern port. It is a place that tells stories through its people and through the old buildings that still stand against the wind.
The second day was the most memorable. I started with a boat tour out on Hudson Bay. The water was calm, and within minutes we were surrounded by beluga whales. They surfaced all around us, bright white against the dark gray water, curious and calm. I watched them breathe, circle the boat, and follow our wake. The guide told stories about their migration and the sounds they make under the water. We stopped at Prince of Wales Fort on Port Henry’s Island, a stone fortress that once protected fur traders from rival powers. The wind there was cold and constant, but the view across the bay made me forget it.
Later that afternoon, I returned for a kayaking trip with the belugas. This was the highlight of the trip. Being in the water with them felt unreal. I could hear their calls through the kayak and feel the water ripple as they swam beneath me. At one point, a beluga surfaced close enough that I could see its eye. It looked straight at me for a second before dipping back under. That single moment made the trip worth it.
On the last day, I met another traveler in town, and we decided to rent a car together to explore the area. We visited the Itsanitaq Museum, which had a fascinating collection of Inuit carvings and historical artifacts. Then we stopped by the Churchill Post Office, where I had my passport stamped with the famous unofficial polar bear stamp, a unique souvenir you can only get there. After that, we drove toward the outskirts of Churchill, visiting the lookout points and polar bear watch areas. Even though I did not see any bears, the vast tundra stretching endlessly toward Hudson Bay was enough. It felt like standing at the edge of the world.
That evening, around 8 p.m., I boarded the train back to Winnipeg. I spent two long days again watching the world roll by outside the window, then flew from Winnipeg to Phoenix with the same Alberta connection. The entire trip cost about $1,300, including flights, train tickets, lodging, and tours.
Churchill is not easy to reach, and that is what makes it so special. It is a place that requires effort and patience, but it gives something back that you cannot find anywhere else. For me, it was peace, the kind that comes from silence, cold wind, and the sound of whales echoing beneath Arctic skies. That is what travel is about, and that is what Fomera Hikes represents: finding the world’s quiet places and letting them change you.
