Check out this video of our trip to see the polar bears in Ontario!

Date of trip: August 2007

Although Will and I travel extensively, it is the rare trip that takes my breath away and leaves me struggling for words to describe it. Our adventure in Ontario was fun, cool, scary, exciting, tiring, etc, etc, etc. I’m afraid I will never be able to do it justice in my description, but I will do my best!

Highlights:

-Cedar Meadows Resort in the city of Timmins seems like a standard hotel until you take their wilderness tour. You are loaded into a cart and driven out onto the grounds where you are soon surrounded by bison, moose and deer. From the safety of the wagon, you can feed the animals but it’s important to be careful as they are still wild at the end of the day.

-Ontario’s polar bears are up by the Hudson Bay and there are no roads that lead there. We flew Air Creebec from Timmins to the native Cree community of Peawanuck to meet our guide, Sam Hunter. He took us by canoe to a remote camp where we settled into canvas tents. Later, we rode snowmobiles (on the grass!) up to Polar Bear Provincial Park to find caribou, eagles and four polar bears. The bears are much bigger and more intimidating than I expected and it was an intense and humbling experience to be so close. It is amazing to see the world’s largest land carnivores in their native habitat but important to remember that you are on their turf and you must show them the utmost respect to stay safe. There are other parts of Canada where polar bears are found but with nearly 30 years of experience giving tours, Sam knows the animals better than anyone. He also cooks a mean caribou stew according to Will.

-Another plane ride and a water taxi landed us at the Cree Village Eco Lodge on Moose Factory Island. It was the perfect spot for Will and me to recuperate after several days of traveling and excitement. The hotel was designed for minimal impact on the environment and is one of the most advanced facilities of its kind in Canada. Everything is “green” and if you are brave enough, four of the rooms even have composting toilets with wiggler worms! The hotel can arrange boat or bike tours and there is also a native museum on the island. We took a boat out to James Bay and our guide talked to us about Cree life and their culture. Just keep track of the time if you want to eat at the restaurant as it is only open for a couple of hours at mealtimes and there’s not many other dining options around.

-After a quick water taxi from Moose Factory to the town of Moosonee we hopped on the Polar Bear Express train to Cochrane. The trip lasts 5 1/2 hours, but passes quick as there is so much on board to keep you occupied. There’s a kid’s play car, a bar car with entertainment and a gift shop, a snack car and two dining cars with restaurants. We spent the bulk of the trip in one of the two high observation cars where we watched the sunset through the domed ceiling windows.

-In Cochrane we visited the Polar Bear Habitat and Heritage Village, home to four rescued polar bears. The draw at the facility is the pool next to the bear enclosure separated by a glass window, allowing guests to “swim” with the bears. Unfortunately the window was cracked during our trip so we were unable to go in the water, but we had a great time watching and learning about the bears. Later we toured the Heritage Village which features antiques, all in working order, from the early 1900s. There is a collection of cars, snowmobiles and farm equipment and a re-creation of an old town with a general store, a barbershop and a school house. We were impressed by the knowledge and enthusiasm of the staff who answered all of our questions and demonstrated how the equipment was used.

Will and I covered so much ground here! By plane, boat, train, and even snowmobile we found stunning landscapes, awe inspiring animals and most impressively, kind and generous people happy to allow us into their territory and share their lives with us. This was a trip I will never forget and I will always treasure what we experienced and learned. Everyone knows Toronto and Niagara Falls, but they are only a tiny sample of what Ontario has to offer visitors. I sincerely thank everyone who made this journey possible for Will and me and I hope many people will get the opportunity to travel to this corner of the world.

For more pictures, please visit my Photo Gallery or click on any of the photos posted above.

Northern Ontario Links:
Ontario Official Site
Moccasin Trail Tours
Cedar Meadows Resort
Air Creebec
Sam Hunter’s Polar Bear and Fishing Tours
Cree Village Eco Lodge
Polar Bear Express
Polar Bear Habitat and Heritage Village