The Parks Canada Visitor Centre in Churchill is gearing up for a busy summer, opening its doors for the season on June 22 with extended hours to welcome visitors. Housed in the historic VIA Rail train station at 1 Mantayo Seepee Meskanow, the centre will be open daily, with evening hours added on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays through August 31.
The centre is the go-to spot for anyone wanting to learn about the area’s rich natural and cultural heritage. It features the “Our Land, Our Stories” exhibits, which use interactive displays to explain the ecology and human history of Wapusk National Park. Visitors can also explore displays about Prince of Wales Fort and York Factory national historic sites. The centre showcases a collection of Hudson’s Bay Company muskets and trade goods, with replicas from the 1700s and 1800s.
Wapusk National Park, accessible only through licensed tour operators from Churchill, protects one of the world’s largest known polar bear maternity denning areas and is home to the Cape Churchill caribou herd. Prince of Wales Fort, built by the Hudson’s Bay Company in the mid-1700s, stands as the oldest building in Canada west of Ontario and the northernmost fort in North America.
The visitor centre will be closed only on July 1 and July 18. For those needing access outside regular hours, Parks Canada staff member Eric Pearson can be reached at [email protected] to make arrangements.
With no road access to Churchill, most travellers arrive by VIA Rail train from Winnipeg or by air. The visitor centre, inside a federally recognized heritage train station, often becomes the first stop for people exploring this remote community known worldwide for its wildlife and history.
