Churchill Wild, an operator based in Churchill, Manitoba, was recognized as the Large Business of the Year during the Fourth Annual Tourism Awards held on April 23, 2026, at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg. The award honours tourism organizations with 20 or more employees that demonstrate high levels of customer satisfaction and provide exceptional visitor experiences.
Founded by Mike and Jeanne Reimer in 1993, the company opened in July 1994 with a single paying guest. Over the past three decades, it has grown to host more than 10,000 guests, including over 860 international visitors annually. The organization operates three remote luxury ecolodges along the Hudson Bay coast, as well as the Blueberry Inn located in Churchill.
The business is recognized globally for its ground-level polar bear walking safari experiences. Both the Seal River Heritage Lodge and the Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge operated by the company are members of the National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World collection. This recognition comes as the town of Churchill continues to see significant tourism interest, with 25,000 visitors arriving annually to view polar bears, beluga whales, and northern lights. This industry currently supports 1,395 direct and indirect jobs and contributes to a $99.8 million tourism sector.
Beyond the company’s recent award from Travel Manitoba and its partners, founders Mike and Jeanne Reimer have been elected as Fellows of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. In 2024, the pair also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Tourism Industry Association of Canada for their contributions to the industry.
