Explore Churchill Pass

Camp Nanuq

Located just off Launch Road at Bird Cove, this area was used in the early 1950’s for launching rockets prior to the construction of the Churchill Research (Rocket) Range. It is an area of pristine rolling tundra, boreal forest and shallow tundra lakes teeming with a diverse flora and fauna. Local residents have built wilderness cabins along the lakeshore and Churchill’s Scouts & Guides maintain a camp to learn skills related to wilderness survival and caring for the environment. In 1970, the 2nd Arctic Northern Jamboree was opened by Queen Elizabeth II accompanied by Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Princess Anne.

Cape Merry Battery

Located at the tip of the East Peninsula looking out over the mouth of the Churchill River, Cape Merry served as a battery for Prince of Wales Fort during the 18th century. Modern day visitors can scan the river for wildlife from the cannon installations and explore the ruins of the nearby powder magazine. A variety of commemorative plaques tell the history of early European presence in the region during the fur trade era.

Celtic Rubble

This unfinished stone building was a project of the late Brian Ladoon, a talented artist, breeder of purebred Inuit huskies and one of Churchill’s most colourful residents. Under the tutelage of a Scottish stonemason, Brian and a small local workforce was trained in the skills needed to construct the planned two-storey hotel. Construction continued over a number of years as time and funds allowed. Since Brian’s death in 2018, the structure has come to be known simply as Ladoon’s Castle.

Churchill Lower Dock

This area was originally the townsite for over 2000 workers involved in the construction of the grain elevators and wharf from the late 1920’s to their completion in 1931. The site is now a departure point for visitors taking part in whale watching tours on the Churchill River. Several local buildings including Caribou Hall, the meeting place for local Guides and Scouts, can trace their history back to Lower Dock.

Churchill Marine Observatory

This first of its kind facility will examine a broad range of topics related to the arctic marine ecosystem. Large concrete pools will be filled with either fresh or salt water and allowed to freeze in order to study the effect of oil spills on the ice environment. The CMO will also serve as an anchor point for a network of observation buoys located throughout Hudson Bay studying the effects of climate change on one of the world’s largest inland seas.

Churchill Northern Studies Centre

Located adjacent to the former Churchill Rocket Range, the CNSC provides accommodations, meals and logistical services to visiting scientists and educators working in the Churchill region. Since 1976, it has supported hundreds of research programs in the natural, physical and social sciences. The Centre opened its brand new 27,000 sq. ft. LEED Certified building in 2011. The unique angular front of the building is designed to maximize passive solar heating in the winter and its curved roof minimizes the accumulation of drifting snow.

Churchill Research (Rocket) Range

Built to support the International Geophysical Year of 1957-59, this facility pioneered the use of atmospheric sounding rockets to probe the very edges of space, unraveling the mysteries of the aurora borealis or northern lights. During its three decades of operation over 3500 rockets of varying size were launched from several specialized launch towers, including the Aerobee – distinguished by its unique rail system extending from the top of the building.

Churchill Town Centre Complex

This focal point of community life houses administrative, health, recreational and educational facilities. Built during Churchill’s 1970’s redevelopment period, the building’s design incorporates large glass walls and expansive views designed to bring the “outside in” while protecting residents from the harsh winter weather. The facility features several historical displays and a photo gallery of early Churchill residents. Be sure to visit the library to learn more about Churchill’s fascinating history.

CN Train Station / Parks Canada Visitor Centre

This vital transportation hub was constructed in the years following the completion of the Hudson Bay Railway line to Churchill in 1929. In the early 2000's the building was restored and expanded to also serve as Parks Canada’s regional administrative headquarters and visitor centre. Dioramas and interactive displays highlight the important relationship between the Cree and Dene Nations and the Hudson Bay Company during the fur trade era of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Fort Churchill

Fort Churchill was established by the US Miliary in 1942 as part of the Crimson Route, a network of northern airfields and field hospitals built for the evacuation of wounded soldiers from Europe, however it was never used for that purpose. Following the 2nd World War the base became a northern military training centre under Canadian and American command and a Cold War Strategic Air Command refueling location. The base was permanently demolished in 1981, but several buildings still remain and are used by the airport and the community.

Holy Canadian Martyrs Roman Catholic Church

Churchill is the only community in the vast Diocese of Churchill Hudson Bay that is located outside of Nunavut. In 1931, the administrative headquarters of the Diocese was relocated from Chesterfield Inlet to Churchill. Church personnel moved from the Lower Dock area to the newly developing townsite and constructed the present-day church and mission buildings. The humble A-frame design of the church is a recognizable part of the Churchill skyline.

Itsanitaq Museum

Established in 1944, the Itsanitaq Museum, which means things from the past in Inuktitut, truly lives up to its name. On display is one of the world’s finest and oldest collections of Inuit art and artifacts dating from 1700 BCE and encompassing pre-Dorset, Dorset, Thule and modern-day Inuit cultures. Explore thousands of pieces of traditional tools and artwork exquisitely fashioned from stone, bone, ivory and antler, as well as natural history displays depicting wildlife common to the region.

Jockville

This small community at one time numbering over 20 houses, grew up as a place where construction workers could bring their families during the boom time of port construction; families were generally not permitted at the Lower Dock camp. In the late summer the fields surrounding Jockville come alive with a profusion of wildflowers. Expanses of bright purple fireweed set against the breaking waves of Hudson Bay make it one of the most photographed landscapes in Churchill.

Kelsey Boulevard

The main street of Churchill houses most local retailers, hotels and restaurants, several of which are constructed from locally harvested timber. A bronze sculpture of a polar bear and her cub by world renowned Ukrainian Canadian artist Leo Mol can be found nestled in a treed space in Hudson Square across from the train station. Polar Bears International House, located approximately halfway down Kelsey Boulevard provides a variety of educational programming on polar bear conservation.

Manitoba Arctic Seaport Sign

Located at the far end of Kelsey Boulevard, the Manitoba Arctic Seaport Sign and polar bear statue is a popular local photo opportunity. Looking west you will see the Port of Churchill grain elevators. To the south, along the Churchill River, is The Flats. This colourful collection of houses and seasonal residences is a popular summer gathering spot and is particularly significant for Indigenous and pioneering families of Churchill.

Miss Piggy Plane Wreck

This Curtiss C-46 cargo aircraft operated by Lambair suffered an engine failure November 13, 1979 shortly after departing Churchill. Forced to return on only one of its two engines, the aircraft was unable to maintain altitude and crashed ¼ mile short of the runway. All three crew members survived the incident. Sources maintain that the nickname Miss Piggy was assigned by the crew in honour of the popular television show The Muppets and not for their tendency to overload the plane with soda pop and potato chips.

Munck Park

Named in honour of Dane Jens Munck, leader of the first European expedition to over winter in Churchill in 1619-1620. Today, this area is a popular gathering place for both locals and visitors and the resting place of the Steiner fishing vessel Enterprise. Dip your toes in Hudson Bay, relax by the campfire, explore the teachings of the medicine wheel or photograph the northern lights dancing high above the massive stone Inukshuk.

MV Ithaca Shipwreck

This former Great Lakes freighter was headed north to a nickel mine at Rankin Inlet, Nunavut in 1960 when it suffered a broken rudder during a fierce autumn storm and ran aground at Bird Cove. Since that time the Ithaca has been a defining feature of the coastal landscape. Although the ship is easily accessible at low tide, it is strongly recommended you do so only with an experienced guide familiar with tide charts or you might wind up spending the night!

Polar Bear Holding Facility

This former military Quonset hut is an important component of the Province of Manitoba’s Polar Bear Alert Program. Bears frequenting the community and posing a risk to the public may be captured and temporarily housed in one of 28 holding cells until they can be safely relocated by helicopter or returned to the ice after freeze-up. Great care is taken to minimize human contact with the bears housed in the facility and so it is not open to the public. There are several displays located outside the facility where you can learn more about the program.

Port of Churchill Grain Elevator

This towering steel and cement structure dominates the Churchill skyline. For almost a century, Canada’s only arctic seaport has facilitated the transport of grain and other commodities from western Canada to ports around the globe. The elevators can hold 140,000 metric tonnes of grain and the Port of Churchill can accommodate the simultaneous loading of several Panamax class vessels. In 2018, ownership of the port and railway was transferred to a consortium of northern Manitoba communities.

Seawalls Murals

The mural We Swim in the Same Waters by Charlie Johnston “…is about ancestral legacy, what was passed on to us and what we will leave for our children’s children.” This mural and 17 others were part of a 2017 project called SeaWalls Churchill, a partnership of the PangeaSeed Foundation and Manitoba artist Kal Barteski. It involved 17 artists and was completed at a time when the community was struggling with catastrophic disruptions to the rail line.

Sons of Martha Cairn

This cairn honours the many sacrifices made by the 3000 construction workers who laboured, under extremely difficult conditions, on the construction of the Hudson Bay Railway over its 510 miles of track between the Pas and Churchill. The monument, inscribed with a Rudyard Kipling poem, is one of several erected by engineer Harry McLean, despite the fact that he himself did not work in the area.

St Paul's Anglican Church

Built in 1892 on Churchill's west peninsula using prefabricated materials shipped from England, it was relocated three times over the years before settling at its current location in the townsite overlooking Hudson Bay. The church houses many historical artifacts including a stain glass window commissioned by Lady Jane Franklin in gratitude for the many search expeditions sent to discover the fate of her missing husband, the famous Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin.

Thanadelthed Cairn

This stone cairn, erected by the Churchill Ladies Club, commemorates the contributions of Thanadelthur, a Dene woman who spent time as a captive of the Cree trading into York Fort. Her knowledge of both Dene and Cree culture and language proved instrumental in brokering a peace between the two Nations in 1717. This significant achievement paved the way for the establishment of a Hudson Bay Company trading post in Churchill in 1717.

View of Prince of Wales Fort National Historic Site

Located across the river from Cape Merry stands Prince of Wales Fort. It was completed in 1771 after 40 years of construction. Although this Hudson Bay Company military outpost was meant to protect the company’s interests in the North American fur trade, it was surrendered to the French in 1782 without a single shot being fired. Several local tour companies provide boat tours to the site during the summer months.

Explore Churchill Pass

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