Churchill Northern Studies Centre — Attraction in Unorganized Division No. 23

Look this way if you are looking to sign up for the volunteer expedition during bear season!

I had a blast volunteering at Churchill this Nov, 2023 during bear season! I've seen a lot of Polar bears, other Arctic species, Northern lights, as well as met quite a few passionate guests, staff and volunteers. The program is also very educational, I learned about the subpopulation of Polar bears in Churchill, the town's history, researchers' projects and the behind-the-scene operations of the research center's LEED certified green building.

I just have a few constructive criticism on the volunteer expedition. They have both short-term and long-term volunteer programs. Long-term is 3 months through a Canadian youth program and short-term is 2 weeks and open to the public (what I did).

Expect to share a dorm room with 3 other volunteers during busy seasons and work out bunking situation. During my stay there, volunteers were scheduled to work 6 days in a row for 6 hours a day, 1 day for a Tundra Buggy ride, work another 6 days and 1 day for a town tour/dog sledding. Those 2 days were considered off days for volunteers so there wasn't much room for leisure time. Duties for short-term volunteers were kitchen duties and housekeeping only. Long-term volunteers were responsible for tours, guest interactions, night duties, Rocket Greens harvest and helping out with kitchen duties as extra hands.

Volunteers were allowed to take turns to put our names down for a vehicle in a week to go out and explore on our own if there was one available. On days with bad weather or a lot of guests, it wasn't guaranteed to get a vehicle. Best strategy is to reserve a vehicle in advance and check on the day of reservation to secure one. But again, there's no guarantee. Guests and researchers get prioritized for a vehicle before volunteers. We got out quite a bit on our own so that was fun!

We asked for a day off and another Tundra Buggy ride, which were both granted. So don't be afraid to ask the staff for some wiggle room as long as you are respectful and open. The staff was a bit overwhelmed during bear season due to staffing issue so I had to chased them down lol. We didn't get helicopter rides but again, don't be afraid to ask. At the end of the day, we all came a long way to experience Churchill, its beautiful nature and wildlife. Volunteers get to go on the helicopter if there's space.

The 4 stars are for the excellent experience with hiccups on the miscommunication and volunteer expectations. The research center tried its best to keep the lights green and were dependent on volunteers so it wasn't anyone's fault in particular, the volunteers just happened to be caught in the middle of a storm. But expectations could be set more clearly and realistically. The volunteer expedition description includes both short-term and long-term volunteer responsibilities, which can be a bit confusing for the short-term volunteers.

This is also my experience and I can only speak for my own experience, you may get a complete different experience when they are fully staffed. However, I want to write this review to clarify the expectations for anyone who's interested...

Academics have defined mass tourism as travel by groups on pre-scheduled tours, usually under the organization of tourism professionals.[48] This form of tourism developed during the second half of the 19th century in the United Kingdom and was pioneered by Thomas Cook. Cook took advantage of Europe's rapidly expanding railway network and established a company that offered affordable day trip excursions to the masses, in addition to longer holidays to Continental Europe, India, Asia and the Western Hemisphere which attracted wealthier customers. By the 1890s over 20,000 tourists per year used Thomas Cook & Son.[49]

The relationship between tourism companies, transportation operators and hotels is a central feature of mass tourism. Cook was able to offer prices that were below the publicly advertised price because his company purchased large numbers of tickets from railroads.[49] One contemporary form of mass tourism, package tourism, still incorporates the partnership between these...

If you want to see polar bears and learn about them, this is the place. The speakers are absolutely committed to the issue and to global warming. The accommodation has several rooms with two bunk beds each, the bathroom is airport type, the showers have valves for water control ... The food is frugal, it is like a university accommodation ie Spartan. But it's worth. The staff is very kind and helpful, and there are many activities, two days spent watching polar bears, and there are also hiking around, a helicopter ride (weather permitting) and a citytour in Churchill (very interesting). I...