Change has broken, remade and continues to reshape this remote town where tundra meets forest on the shore of Hudson Bay.
The economic base collapsed when the military left town. Rail service and cargo ships — the lifeblood of supplies for a town not connected to the rest of the world by roads — blinked out. The weather is warming, signature animals are dwindling and even the ground is shifting.
Through it all, Churchill has adapted. The town turned to tourism, luring people eager to see its plentiful polar bears. Leaders figured out ways to revitalize its port and railway. As climate change has edged into the picture, they’ve begun designing more flexible buildings and seeking to entice more varied visitors if, as scientists fear, shrinking sea ice crashes the bear population.
In a few years, people will be moving to Churchill for the Mediterranean beach climate.
The coastline there is receding, due to isostatic rebound. Actually this is true of most of the north. It’s ironic in the context of global warming that sea level rise won’t affect the north much as it melts.
Fine, ruin my joke with reality.
Don’t take it personally Squid. Reality interrupts everyone.