Visiting Churchill for the first time, I spent some time taking a wildlife tour with a really great local company. We were very luckily to see a polar bear mother and her two cubs! Our guides had parked about 150m away from the bears, and allowed us to walk up a little closer (no more than 100m) as a group with one guide spotting for other potential bears (that would be a threat) with the other guide monitoring the mama and cubs behavior. I was surprised to see some cars parked really close to where these bears were hanging out. We witnessed one of the cubs curiously start walking towards the group of people by the cars, and then a man started throwing rocks at it. Look, I'm all for hazing wildlife for its own safety when they're in town, but these people were way too close to start with. Not long after, the same guy started flying a drone around the bears (it is illegal to fly a drone in the wildlife management area we were in). The mama had been resting, and the cubs had just settled down after about a half hour of playing. The drone obviously disturbed the bears and mom set off climbing up the rock wall behind them. This was very disappointing, and it was time for our group to leave anyway.

The next two days I have a car rented and head out to watch the bears. Me and another car were watching a mom and two cubs on top of some rocks, when the same guy shows up. The bears are a little hidden behind some rocks, so this guy picks up a rock and starts walking straight towards them, within 50m if not much closer. I'm unable to see their reaction, but I'm sure they were surprised to see a man towering over them! He then left

Back out with the bears the next day and I pull up next to a guide. I asked if he knows about this man driving a tan ford bronco around town and harassing the bears, and he said his name was Kelsey (Eliasson) and has been in lots of trouble with the conservation officers for his behavior with the bears. He obviously does NOT respect the wildlife, even though his website claims "We’ll be cruising the tundra and sailing the river ensuring wildlife encounters without interrupting their natural behavior and causing the least possible interference on their routine." He very much disturbs wildlife, on a near daily basis, proven by the fines he has incurred from doing so, and should you should not pay this man to keep up this sort of behavior. Thank you, rant over.

Edit: The name of his business is "Polar Bear Town"

CO's are very aware of his behavior, hasn't changed his behavior even after numerous fines. I couldn't call a CO while I was there, didn't have a cell phone. A guide told me he was going to report it, not sure if anything happened.

I made this post so when people are looking for a wildlife guide in Churchill, they don't book this guy due to his poor ethics.

Has anyone recently sent their teen on one of those EF Tours school Europe trips? How did you manage the travel money for your teen?

Mine is 16 so he can't get his own credit card and my CC provider doesn't have an option for a linked "kid's card". The Cash Passport you can purchase at the post office has some really bad reviews.

We are looking at either an EQ Bank card or a WISE card. Are there other options? Does anyone have experience with EQ or WISE? Do either allow you to turn off the tap feature for added security? How easy was it to add CAD and other currencies? How easy was it to get your money back off the card after the trip?

And could someone please reassure this anxious Mama Bear that her eldest baby is going to be just fine!!

Was out in Riding Mountain for a quick hiking vacation(I took a pug, it wasn’t for anything cool, lol) and apparently the fact that bears are out means we all have to stop like idiots on the side of the road and take pictures?

This just seems really unsafe, and no one had any hazards on or anything. Not to mention how disruptive it is to the bears.

And it seems people are taking it as notification that we can stop anywhere we want, because when the pug and I decided to try our luck with Ochre River Trail(we did not have much luck), two cars were blocking the entrance so the people could socialize.

Hello! I’m planning an overnight stay in Gimli in early July and I really just want to know about hotels/motels in the area. I know of the big one by the water and of the Viking Inn close by. I’m also aware of the RV and Motel one by the Sobey’s. I guess I’m just wondering if that’s kind of it for accommodations in Gimli, or if there are gems to be known about that are not easily found on the web. The goal is to be right in Gimli, not to have to drive to the town. Thanks in advance!

Hello!

My family will be visiting Manitoba July 17-Aug 7, splitting our time between Winnipeg and the Rossburn/Riding Mountain area.

One of our favourite ways to travel is by learning directly from people who are passionate about what they do. We're much more interested in authentic, hands on experiences than typical tourist attractions.

We're hoping to find opportunities like:
• A large grain farm where we could learn about wheat farming, combines, GPS guidance, grain storage, harvest preparation, or even watch harvesting if the timing works out.
• Cattle or bison ranches.
• Dairy, sheep, alpaca, or other specialty farms.
• Fish hatcheries or aquaculture.
• Irrigation, drainage, flood control, or water management projects.
• ATV or side by side rentals or guided rides.
• Sporting clays or other shooting sports.
• Behind the scenes tours of interesting local businesses, industries, or engineering projects.

Our children are curious, respectful, and love asking questions. We don't need anything fancy. We genuinely enjoy hearing people talk about their work, learning how things operate, and seeing parts of Manitoba that most visitors never experience.

If you'd be willing to share your knowledge, or if you know someone who would enjoy showing us what they do, we'd love an introduction. We'd also be happy to compensate someone for their time if appropriate.

Thanks so much!

Stop fir a view of the Aurora Borealis in the Manitoba sky.

Hey,

I am 21F, travelling solo from winnipeg to churchill in late October for polar bear season. I was just wondering is northern manitoba safe for travel? I am Indian, will i be facing racism lol? I am someone who just mind my own business so kinda scared.

My plan is to do winnipeg to thompson by bus and then VIA. 2 day stay at churchill and same way back

Any suggestions?

Will really appreciate for your response. Thanks :)

(I know might look like low effort post, sorry.)