Churchill and environs

This Yorkspace collection is be a place where diverse digital media are available to the Churchill community.

Reachable by train, sea and air, the Town of Churchill on Hudson Bay is famous. It is known as "The Polar Bear Capital of the World". But, while there are polar bears and tundra plant communities to be found here, Churchill is not officially in the Arctic, being located at a latitude of 58° 46', and not above 60°.

The recent report from the Churchill Beyond 2012, Sustainability Summit, held in March 2012, describes Churchill and the challenges that it faces, in the following way:

"Churchill is a town with tremendous assets: a globally strategic port, a strong tourism economy based on internationally renowned natural habitat, well-resourced research capacity and extensive public facilities that were originally built to serve a much larger population. A the same time it is highly vulnerable to external circumstances, namely global climate change and the economics of international shipping.

While Churchill is a popular international tourist destination this has not translated into broadly-shared wealth and well-being: there are sharp social and economic disparities. Those working for major employers earn a higher median income than the province, but many of its residents live in aging public housing units. Its Aboriginal population is still recovering from a legacy of displacement, residential schools and isolation. The town population is gradually declining and it is difficult to retain young people or attract new investment."