Same Place but New Experiences

I don’t know where the summer has gone! Already the time has come for me to leave and I am having mixed feelings about it. I arrived in Churchill June 10^th and it has been nonstop since then, not that I am complaining because it’s been amazing and I wish it didn’t have to end.  I know I have been horrible at keeping my blog updated but I defiantly have had a good reason….I’ve been having  way too much fun to sit in front of a computer screen for a few hours, especially when it’s a beautiful sunny day!  So instead of updating weekly or so as I have done so in the past I am basically giving you a two-part wrap up on my second season here in Churchill Manitoba.

Newly Painted Lifejacket Shed

This year working for Sea North Tours under the new ownership of Dwight and Louise Allen has been a great experience. A few changes were made down at the docks this season, we did a lot of painting, polishing, new docks were built, and we added a few new additions to our growing fleet of zodiacs and kayaks.

New layout for cleaning our snorkelling gear

The new dock that was built in a day for the Big Boat



Docks leading to our fleet of zodiacs



Where the snorkellers go

New waiting/picnic area for guests

This season I was also allowed to take on new responsibilities which in turn tested  my own confidence in the job I know I am very capable of doing, however needed to put it into perspective. Yes this year I was given the opportunity to lead my own zodiac estuary tours; 2 ½ hours of me driving a zodiac filled with between 4-10 people  answering any questions they may have in regards to whales, birds, polar bears, Churchill etc.

 It was nice while doing these types of tours too because although we didn’t go to the Fort Prince of Wales I was still able to give a bit of a history lesson to those who were interested.  And so far *knock on wood* I haven’t had a bad day doing estuary tours.  Not only was I given the opportunity to lead my own estuary tours I was also able to lead kayaking tours this year. I did a lot last year however did not drive the zodiac and was not giving the safety briefing compared to this year I was doing set up and take down as well as driving.  There were a few “scary” moments during the season where someone had capsized but being confident in your abilities and understanding what is needed to be done in a situation like that is extremely important, and a quick response can lead to fewer problems in the future. I have been fortunate to have done a lot of kayaking myself this season as well as having been taught a great deal of important information by a veteran kayaker; my friend and co-worker Hayley Shephard.  If at any time you want someone to help you out answering kayaking questions or showing you the basics to kayaking it’s going to be this woman who is absolutely amazing.

Speaking of kayaking…this year I was able to do a lot more kayaking mostly for fun with friends like Hayley and Jamie,  which was good because that way I had a better idea of how to answer questions anyone had in regards to kayaking on the Churchill River. I am by no means an verteran kayaker, I am use to kayaking on lakes back home in BC.  Out here you learn quickly that the more you do the more you pay attention to the important details such as; change in wind direction and watching the changing current. If you don’t pay attention to these important aspect out on the Churchill River especially knowing that you are dealing with tides and weather you could end up putting yourself and others in danger. The only other things you need to be aware of out on the River are of course other vessels, whales, and ice.  Another kayaking experience that was new to me this year was kayaking amongst ice flows. 

I had  ever done this before and although there wasn’t a lot of ice around there was defiantly enough to be cautious about.  The reason for this is because of two reasons, the first being that the ice flows are very unpredictable in regards to collapsing in which the ice could come tumbling down on you if you are too close and the second is that the ice bergs have a tendency to flip which could create quite the crash and wave if you are too close, and of course again watching the current because the non grounded ice bergs are moving and are doing so at a good speed. However as I said before the icebergs that were around during my experience were minor ones but just to be safe I did keep my distance…most of the time.

Canada Day!! This year of course we did our annual bay dip however the biggest difference this year compared to last was that we were using canoes and 2x4s to push the icebergs out of the way of the relay race. Once again the Tundra staff was entered, this year Jamie, Sun, Hayley and Evyes were the crazy ones going into the Bay, where as I opted to take photos and video.  

We had a late break up of ice this year which in turn left us with ice till about mid July, this however was a good thing for the Polar Bears because of our late ice break up that means that they are getting a good feeding of seals, of course this is bad for the tourists who really want to see a polar bear. Canada Day this year was a blast not only because I wasn’t sick but because of the atmosphere that surrounded me. That evening I went to the pub with some friends and had a few drinks before heading to watch the fireworks.  The fireworks that were put on behind the complex were amazing! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a small town put on such good fireworks..I hate to say it but they blow Burns Lake fireworks out of the water anyday!

July was filled with all sorts of continuing fun for me.  Despite working seven days/week and putting in crazy hours I was still able to find time not just for myself but also with my friends. Last year the atmosphere around this time was stressful due to certain circumstances and I swore I would not let that ruin my summer and I think thus far I’ve done pretty damn good. The heat this summer was once again unbelievable! I don’t know if we broke any records but I do know I was thankful on the days that after our tours ended we were able to take the big boat up to the point and go swimming. The first time I was sort of worried about free swimming while being surrounded by beluga whales…of course it probably didn’t help that I kept thinking of Jaws!

 

knowing full well that these mammals were not going to hurt me. Of course going back to the weather it wasn’t always the greatest as there were a few times this year that we had some minor storms coming through. The one that I really remember was I was out doing a kayaking tour and all I remember is seeing the storm coming towards us and I quickly hurried to gather my people telling them to take cover when it hit! We got completely soaked, the rain came down hard with the wind picking up before we were able to take cover however still managed to do so. We waited it out for about 5 minutes before heading back out…this group was full of troopers! Unfortunately though no sooner had we gotten out to be with the whales a second squall hit us this time brining stronger winds, fog, and more rain and it was at that point where I had to make a judgement call and I decided to cancel the rest of the kayaking. Safety comes first when you are out on that water and you have to nothing but the upmost respect for the river and the conditions that are thrown at you. However despite my canceling the remaining kayaking tour the guests still had a blast. Now I’m not too sure why because like me they were soaked head to toe right through to the bone. all their gear got wet, and they weren’t out there for the entire time, however I think that because for some odd reason we had amazing whales the guests forgot about the crappy weather conditions that we had been dealt.  

Now not all my time this season has been out on the water..oddly enough I have been fortunate to have spent a lot of time on land this year doing numerous things. My first day off in a long time I borrowed Remi’s dog Napa and took her out for a nice long walk running a few errands before checking out the sights that I already  knew Churchill had to offer.  She and I started at one side of town and zig zagged our way to the other side. Napa is a really good dog she has been my bear monitor all summer while working down at the docks, she is very protective when it comes to other animals being around however when it comes to people she is a big suck!  

However not all my extra time on land was spent with Napa…this year unlike last year I was able to go out on the tundra. The only other time that I had been out on the tundra was during my first ever visit to Churchill back in November 2010. Having seen the tundra in both the different seasons has been amazing  and I think the reason for this is because the tundra landscape and animals are always changing. I’ve been able to go out when the flowers are in full bloom and the animals; birds, bears, caribou, fox etc have been both good and bad.

 

 

 

 

Now going back to the flowers for a minute..holy crap does Churchill have A LOT of flowers!! Last year I had a hard enough time trying to keep track of them over at the Fort…being out on the tundra I took numerous photos and had to make separate album with brief descriptions about all the flowers I saw..It’s been nuts! However still very enjoyable.

 

Artic Poppy

Fireweed

Northern Grass of Parnassus

Wintergreen



Wild Sweetpea

Yellow Marsh Saxifrage

 

 So one little side note in regards to July that I would like to point out…my 25^th birthday rocked!!  I had to work that day but it was awesome, I had a back to back tour and both groups were really fun. They both actually sang me ‘happy birthday’ while I was doing my tour and apparently both groups had really good whales as well. After work I had dinner with Remi and his family, his mom Louise made the best homemade pizza for me (5 sheets) and we ate it like it was going out of style! Leanna and Aubrie (Remi’s cousin and sister) had made cupcakes for me the day before rather than cake and we all had a nice family dinner. Of course all day my phone had been going off like crazy, my friends and family calling me and leaving me text messages. The cutest was when both my nieces called me to wish me a happy birthday, the message they left on my voice made me laugh happy tears it was so cute.  After dinner I headed up to the tundra pub to see what my friends were up too and it was there I was given a birthday dessert and this time the whole pub sang ‘happy birthday’ to me.  That night I am not going to lie, probably the best night I’ve had in Churchill. Yes I will admit I closed the bar but that isn’t the point…the point is that I got to spend my birthday with amazing friends who made the night. We had a few drinks, we danced, we sang, we chatted…it was more than I could have ever had asked for…especially compared to last year (minus being able to spend time with my mom).