Polar Bear Jail

Churchill


Located in a former aircraft hangar near the airport, this secure facility serves as holding center for problem polar bears who repeatedly turn up in Churchill and pose a danger to its residents. With the exception of family groups, bears are held for at least 30 days before being released. Repeat offenders may be relocated by helicopter.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Churchill attractions

1. Fort Churchill

0.5 MILES

Amid the undulating rocks, late-season ice and scraggy, stunted trees looms a Cold War relic. Just north of the airport, Fort Churchill was Canada's Cape…

2. Miss Piggy

0.68 MILES

Out toward the airport lies the wreck of a Curtiss C-46 freight plane that crashed here in 1979 after developing engine trouble, but without a single…

3. Itsanitaq Museum

3.49 MILES

This one-room museum showcases an exceptional collection of Inuit carvings made of whalebone, soapstone and caribou antler, as well as millennia-old…

4. Parks Canada Museum

3.68 MILES

There's a small museum and nature center in the train station along with the Parks Canada info desk. It has a good model of the fort and excellent nature…

5. Cape Merry

5.11 MILES

A lone cannon behind a crumbling wall is all that's left of the battery built at Cape Merry, 2km northwest of town. It's an incredibly beautiful location…

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