Nickel Belt News
Volume 55 Number 41
Friday, October 16, 2015
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Eco-friendly polar bear safari company wins sustainable tourism award BY IAN GRAHAM EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Churchill Wild, an operator of fly-in polar bear eco-lodges on Manitoba’s Hudson Bay coast, was recognized Oct. 2 with the sustainable tourism award at Travel Manitoba’s 17thannual Manitoba Tourism Awards gala in Winnipeg. The sustainable tourism award recognized Churchill Wild for providing customized adventures in the Arctic ecosystem that promote conservation of native wildlife and vegetation while creating social and economic benefits for local communities. “We’re very honoured to receive this award,” said Churchill Wild co-owner Mike Reimer, who owns the business with his wife Jeanne, in a press release. “We’ve worked very hard over the past 30 years to ensure our remote lodges and polar bear safaris have minimal impact on the pristine Arctic environments we operate in. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished, and it’s wonderful to be appreciated for our efforts.” Churchill Wild operates four lodges – Seal River Lodge, Nanuk Polar Beard Lodge, Dymond Lake EcoLodge and North Knife Lake Lodge – and bills itself as the only provider of polar bear walking safaris which run from mid-July to mid-November and boast of a 100 per cent success rate. Hiking is the main way that Churchill Wild’s guests get around and they use established trails and beach ridges to minimize their environmental impact and allow animals to approach on their own terms rather than pursuing or pressuring them. The lodges are built from recycled materials and sus-
Nickel Belt News photo courtesy of Travel Manitoba Melanie Swenarchuk, senior business director of Churchill Wild, speaks at Travel Manitoba’s 17th-annual Manitoba Tourism Awards in Winnipeg Oct. 2, where the polar bear safari company won a sustainable tourism award. tainably harvested wood from Manitoba and Minnesota and boost the area’s economy by purchasing local goods and services and employing local youth and First Nations people. Food served at the lodges includes local “country foods” – sustainably and humanely harvested fish, game, wild berries and salad greens – to minimize shipping and offer the best flavour and quality. “Our goal is to become 100 per cent self-sufficient using renewable energy sources such as solar power,” said
Mike Reimer. “We’re almost there.” “Our guests notice even the little things we do with regards to the environment and the wildlife,” said Jeanne Reimer. “We really appreciate that. It’s our way of life.” Travel Manitoba tourism awards nominations are submitted by industry peers, with finalists and winners selected by a tourism industry-based judging panel. Winners receive a trophy and can use the Manitoba Tourism Award symbol for advertising and promotion while also being
highlighted on Travel Manitoba’s website. “Manitoba’s success as a tourism destination is linked directly to the achievements of those businesses and individuals who have been recognized by the Manitoba Tourism Awards,” said Colin Ferguson, Travel Manitoba president and CEO. “What all of 56 nominees, 30 finalists and 11 winners have in common is the ability to offer exceptional service and engaging and distinctive experiences that are the core of our province’s tourism industry.”
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Nickel Belt News photo courtesy of Dennis Fast Churchill Wild offers polar bear walking safaris from four Northern Manitoba lodges, including the Seal River Lodge seen behind this polar bear.
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