2°c Sunny
Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Churchill to expand polar bear holding area
Debby in 2006. (MIKE APORIUS/WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVE) Photo Store
New upgrades to Churchill’s holding compound for wayward polar bears will allow it to hold up 60 animals, the province said Monday.
Work has already started with $105,000 in provincial funding, Conservation Minister Bill Blaikie said today.
The facility holds nuisance bears until they can be safely transported out of town or until ice forms on Hudson Bay, said Blaikie.
The province spent $130,000 in 2005 to fix its roof and strengthen its walls. In 2006, $225,000 was spent adding new holding cells and installing a cooling system for bears held in warmer weather. The electrical system was also upgraded in 2008 with funding of $80,000. The next phase will strengthen end walls and the main entrance.
Manitoba’s Polar Bear Alert Program has recorded almost 300 incidents this season in the Churchill area. Almost 60 bears have been captured and held in the compound. Bears continue to linger in the area because the water on Hudson Bay has failed to freeze as early as it historically does.
Bears that refuse to stay away from inhabited areas are placed in the compound. Once ice has formed on the bay, the bears are released to hunt seals, their main source of food, and they remain on the ice flows until about July.
The holding compound, an old army Quonset-type warehouse located about eight kilometres east of Churchill, was taken over by the province in 1979 after Fort Churchill closed. The first cells were built in 1980 and first used in the 1981 season.
The province also recently announced $31 million in funding to support the development of international polar bear conservation at Winnipeg’s Assiniboine Park Zoo as part of a wider project to add more attractions to the park.
More Latest News
- Back to Top
- Return to Latest News
More Latest News
(1 of 19 articles for today)
Flood money paid for CEO's romantic trip
1:00 AM 0The leader of a Manitoba emergency services agency under a federal probe booked a Vancouver trip for himself and a ...
Poll
Most Popular Latest News
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Winnipeg woman camps out in front of legislature to protest child welfare
- Two men now facing first-degree murder charges in Tim Bosma test drive death
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- New owner for lumber stores
- New downtown tower could be 42 storeys tall: developers
- 2 dead in crash near Portage la Prairie
- Man killed after test drive a regular guy, and it cost him his life: widow
- Chiropractor guilty of sexually assaulting, beating ex-girlfriend
- Famous city grocer loved job, customers
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Horrific crash kills minivan driver near Brandon
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Winnipeg woman camps out in front of legislature to protest child welfare
- Rainfall warning issued for southern Manitoba
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Seattle man dribbling soccer ball to Brazil killed by car on Oregon Coast
- 87-year-old woman tells jurors, 'Somebody had to stand up to' Donald Trump
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- Driver crashes into tree near golf course
- Arrests made after raids on local head shops
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- News of city's $17-million winner leaks out on FB
- Passengers from diverted flight to leave Winnipeg Thursday night
- No threat from bag found at Winnipeg Square
- Susan Griffiths dies in Switzerland
- New owner for lumber stores
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Famous city grocer loved job, customers
- Developers to unveil plans for bold downtown tower
- Heritage Winnipeg hosting 10th annual Doors Open Winnipeg this weekend
- Order of Manitoba recipients announced
- Underwood leaves fans blown away
- Horrific crash kills minivan driver near Brandon
- Creative industries can fuel a city's economic engine
- Man dies after being pulled from vehicle submerged in Winnipeg retention pond
- New owner for lumber stores
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
- Marsh Madness: Photographers Fred Greenslade and Joe Bryksa capture spring migration's grandeur at Delta Marsh
- Horrific crash kills minivan driver near Brandon
- Prominent Canadians back petition to rename Victoria Day to honour aboriginals
- Famous city grocer loved job, customers
- Animals are animals, new ads say
- Skin picking gets status as distinct disorder, should help sufferers access help
- Order of Manitoba recipients announced
- New owner for lumber stores
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Dogs can experience separation anxiety and depression just like humans
- Ontario steps in to help save ELA
- Saskatchewan professor wants to test the health benefits of nose-picking
- 'Revenge of the redheads': Ginger-haired Montrealers gather in celebration
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Passengers from diverted flight to leave Winnipeg Thursday night
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- Grocer Joe Cantor dies at 88
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.