On the road to Churchill Manitoba

After leaving the International Peace Garden we needed to make our way North – way North that is! Our main destination is Thompson Manitoba, pretty much the furthest you can drive North in the Province. The only ways into Churchill are by sea, air or rail, you can’t drive. We are to grab a train when we arrive, leaving Colectiva and the pooch in Thompson. On our way we passed through the Turtle Mountains, and spotted this massive sculpture made from over 5,000 automotive wheel rims.

We stopped in Dauphin for a night. We visited St. Georges Ukrainian Orthodox Church, built in the 1930’s by Father Philip Ruh. Ruh went on to design and build several Ukrainian churches in Canada, known for his classical designs and intensive internal use of religious icons. We got to tour the church with one of the local parishioners who also sits on the Board that preserves the iconic structure. 

She told us how it had fallen into disrepair and was slated for demolition, as did most of Ruh’s masterpieces. However, the Ukrainian community pulled together, raised funds, and got the church put on the Canada’s Historic Register. After the tour and an introduction to the deep Ukrainian heritage in Canada, we were treated to a traditional Ukrainian dinner in the hall of the new church across the street. A group of half a dozen parishioners fed us and serenaded us with some traditional Ukrainian songs. It was grand!

We also visited Fort Dauphin, a strategic trading post for the Voyageurs during the time of the fur traders. We were regaled by locals dressed in period clothing and told about both the operation of the fort, as well as life in Northern Manitoba. I got to learn first-hand how the Voyageurs were able to carry 70 pounds of gear and still portage their canoe. One docent who lived on a farm not far outside Dauphin told us that when she was young, she washed clothes in a bucket. They didn’t get electricity and phones until the 1970’s, and didn’t have high speed internet until the last decade. It sounds like things I took for granted all my life have only come relatively recently to Northern Manitoba. Sheesh!

On the final leg from The Pas to Thompson we did lunch at the Pisew Regional Park. The hike to the upper falls would have made us late in arrival in Thompson, so we only hiked to the lower falls. However, I can’t imagine that the upper falls could have been any more impressive than the lower falls. Both the Woman and the pooch were quite impressed.

Thompson being essentially the furthest North you can easily drive is one huge float plane base, helping locals and tourists to penetrate a bit further. Artist decorated wolf statues are all over town and each is impressive. I wish we could have spotted an unpainted one stalking around, but we weren’t blessed with that luxury.

Talk to you soon!