GBJ reports: The town with more polar bears than people
- Rick Dunham
- Jul 14, 2021
- 1 min read
Updated: Aug 17, 2021
By JUSTIN OLSVIK
Global Business Journalism reporter
Churchill, Manitoba, is a small Canadian town with problems unlike any other. This outpost in Canada's Arctic north has been able to capitalize on the fact that hundreds of polar bears wander through the community every year, providing a seasonal stream of tourism income.
But now, climate change is threatening polar bear populations and Churchill's way of life. Still, the climate crisis might also bring with it some uncomfortable new economic opportunities.
Global Business Journalism reporter Justin Olsvik traveled to Churchill to report on the lure (and lore) of the polar bear, the economic lure of Canada's "northwestern passage" for global shipping and the challenges exacerbated by global climate change.
Documentary by Justin Olsvik
Historical footage shot by George Coutts, courtesy of the Archives of Manitoba
Maps courtesy of the Library and Archives of Canada
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