Churchill, Manitoba, is a small northern Canadian town located on the south west coast of Hudson Bay with a population of approximately 900 people. It is uniquely positioned on the migratory route of the Western Hudson Bay polar bear population. These bears spend approximately 4-5 months onshore in this region, leading to frequent interactions with the local community. Churchill is also the only northern community with a highly developed polar bear-viewing tourist industry - between 6,000 to 10,000 people come to witness polar bears in their natural habitat each year.
How does the community and tourists stay safe?

The Polar Bear Alert Program in Manitoba, a unique and vital initiative, manages and mitigates human-polar bear interactions in and around the community of Churchill. The program operates with a clear conservation mandate, aiming to strike a balance between protecting the safety of both humans and polar bears. This involves taking measures to prevent dangerous encounters and ensuring the coexistence of the community with the Arctic wildlife.

The Polar Bear Alert Program serves as a model for proactive management and community engagement, addressing the unique challenges posed by the cohabitation of humans and polar bears in this remote Arctic region. By capturing the essence of life in Churchill against the backdrop of polar bear encounters, this photography project seeks to inspire a deeper understanding of the challenges and harmonies in the unique coexistence between humans and polar bears in the Canadian Arctic and shed light on conservation issues unique to this region and species.

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I began guiding in Churchill in the summer of 2023 with Natural Habitat Adventures ft. WWF. This is a relatively new photography project for me and I am set to return in Churchill in August, October & November 2024 for work and to continue to work on this project. To me, the images below represent “scouting images” - they give me a hint of what may be possible but aren’t entirely what I’m after. This is very much a work in progress in its infancy. When I return I aim engage in on-the-ground photography during the peak polar bear season, capturing diverse moments that convey the essence of human-polar bear coexistence, conduct interviews with key individuals, including conservation officers, bear guides, and community members, to accompany the visuals with personal narratives and insights and finally I hope to collaborate with the Polar Bear Alert Program to document their activities, patrols, and response mechanisms through both photos and narratives.