I rilly, rilly want to go to Churchill, Manitoba to see the polar bears.
Mr. Ujest still has enough vacation time left of this year where we could feasibly make the drive up there. (Detroit to Winnipeg to Churchill, looks to be the route.)
But, I am stymied on just how far it is from Winnipeg to Churchill and has anyone ever gone there?
Shirley, a few Dopers, myself not included, have been there. I’m not certain there is a thru road to there – just a rail line. Look up a thread, I think in GQ, on why there are no large cities on Lake Huron – thanks to misinformation I had, it got hijacked into Churchill as major grain port.
I’ve never been to Churchill. My map doesn’t show roads going that far, and it probably would if they did, though I can’t guarantee its accuracy. I think people usually fly in, actually. It’s about 700 miles from Winnipeg in a straight line, if I figured the scale on the map correctly. If there were a road, it would be rather longer, since you’d have to wend your way up through Thompson.
And that’s some hijack. 
There is no road to Churchill. You have to take the train. <pulls out maps> Looks like the closest place you can drive to is where the road to The Pas crosses the rail line. Got a 4x4? That road may be a gravel bush highway, like the Trans-Labrador. Via offers round-trip sleeper packages from Winnipeg; apparently the train journey Winnipeg to Churchill (one way) is two days.
Psst: That’s “eh”.
Churchill is a great place to go when the bears are about, but other than that it’s just another outpost in the sad little bush.
My grandfather designed and built grain elevators for the C.D. Howe company). It took two days by train from Winnipeg.
I worked in Thompson, which is halfway up the line and which can be driven to.
No, you cannot drive to Churchill.
i love churchill. i think it is a great little town.
i used travel wild to go see the bears they have 2 types of tours and very knowledgable bear guides. try www.travelwild.com it maybe a bit difficult to get on the tour now.
Oh, in the name of the Holy Virgin. There is no road to Churchill. There’s an ancient train, but no one in their right mind would take it. You go to Winnipeg, you fly to Churchill. Holy Petunia!
There isn’t even a winter road to Churchill, and if you don’t know what a winter road is, you don’t want to.
When I lived in The Pas (in case you’re wondering, it’s pronounced The Paw), I worked with a lady who did the Churchill Polar Bear Tour, and she said it was fantastic. Apparently, the bears come up to the tour bus, stand on their hind legs, and shake the bus. How cool is that? This is definitely on my list of things to do someday.
You will need to go with a tour though, I believe - at least you will need to find out when the polar bears are actually around, and not further north for summer or some such thing. Oh, and if you don’t already know, if you’re going to Northern Manitoba in winter, be prepared for -40°C. Seriously.
Pah! Minus 70. But there’s a guy building a medieval castle there that is supposed to be a hotel. Ha. Be prepared to build a fire, a castle cant hold out minus 10. But Iike that guy’s spirit.
Hee. I guess looking at all the maps from the Canuck Travel People that in my overexcitement to see da bears, I didn’t notice that there was no road.
Sigh.
I guess we’ll wait a few more years to see the bears.
Thanks to all my favorite canadians.
An ancient train that nobody in their right mind would take? Ever been in sleeper class on a VIA train?
In the past year alone, I’ve ridden from Halifax to Edmonton in VIA’s sleeper classes, and I can tell you that they are nice! Properly-cooked meals in the dining car, relaxing with drinks in the bar, dome cars from which to see the scenery–and a private bedroom with a full bed in which to stretch out at night. Much nicer than dealing with airport lineups, security checks, cramped seats, and Air Canada’s service cutbacks.
Yes, VIA’s Churchill run is on my list of Train Rides to Take Someday.
Shirley, treat yourself and your husband to a real travel treat–get to Winnipeg, and take the train from there.
I’d even be prepared for -40 F! 
I wonder how many people don’t get that.
At least it the conversion is really simple at -40.
Conversion? wha?
I have done the overnight rail from Winnipeg to Churchill. I went in the summer to see the beluga whales. I also took a polar buggy ride, I went on a nature tour, saw a polar bear (yes, you can see them during the summer,) and flew down to Winnipeg again.
It was great fun, I loved all of it, especially the whales. If you go in the summertime, you can collect fossils from Hudson’s Bay. (I’ve got a HUGE clam shaped fossil from my trip there.)