A trip to Churchill in Northern Manitoba, Canada, in the spring of 2005 means you could be building your own igloo for a night’s stay.
Now you can have this kind of chilling experience: to be only a snow wall away from freezing to death, and actually enjoying it.
An ancient form of shelter used by the Inuit for centuries, the igloo is now available to travelers. An igloo is a house (and means such in Inuktitut, the language of the indigenous Inuit of Canada’s north) built from rectangular blocks of snow that are formed into a dome shape.
Visitors staying at Churchill Wild’s Polar Bear Lodge can build their own igloo and spend a night comfortably ensconced as the dance of the gods – the Northern Lights – glow in the skies overhead.
Here, the adventurous can experience the world of snow and ice, as have residents of the north for centuries, with the safety and comfort of a modern lodge nearby.
Polar Bear Lodge is located approximately 20 kilometers from Churchill by air and offers a host of arctic desirables that bring guests back annually to re-experience the tundra.
The lodge is equipped with a miniature tundra buggy for lengthy excursions, cozy accommodations, expansive picture windows to take in the amazing landscapes and wildlife, and most famously, the tundra’s best culinary experience including such delicacies as “Jalapeño Stuffed Snow Goose” and “Caribou Burgundy.”
Guests are exposed to more than the elements with Churchill Wild and are offered an authentic northern experience.
Aside from the igloo building and the gourmet northern cuisine, guests can partake in activities such as dog sledding, as well as extensive wildlife viewing.
The wildlife in the area include moose, wolves, fox, wolverines, hares, ptarmigan, seals and of course the infamous polar bears.
Churchill Wild offers other tours throughout the year. "Birds, Bears, and Belugas" offers visitors an intimate adventure with the unique mammals and birds of Northern Canada, including the beluga whale, from mid-July to mid-August.
In September, the focus is upon "Lights in the Wild," viewing the spectacular natural phenomenon of the Northern Lights, and learning survival skills needed in the North.
Perhaps the most adventurous tour offered is "The Great Ice Bear Tour" in October and November. This is when and where visitors can experience the migration of the mighty polar bear.

IF YOU GO:
Churchill Wild’s “Fire and Ice” tour is available from April 4-7, 2005 ONLY. The cost of the trip is $3,250.00 CDN ($2326.00 U.S.) for an all-inclusive 5-night, 4-day adventure. Call toll free 1-888-ECO-SEAL (326-7325), or visit www.churchillwild.com. For Manitoba travel information visit: www.travelmanitoba.com.
The “Fire and Ice” tour includes all meals and lodging. Guests are transferred to and from the lodge from Churchill by either helicopter or float plane. Lodge accommodations are rustic and comfortable, and delicious gourmet meals are served daily to please every palette. See the cookbook website at www.bbpbcookbooks.com.




IGLOO FACTS:

An igloo is a small circular hut capable of housing only 1 or 2 families that can also be easily changed into a community dwelling of 3, 4 or 5 rooms that will house 15 or 20 people.
Although entirely constructed of snow and situated in sub zero temperatures, the inside of an igloo can be quite cozy and warm.
Originally, igloos were built only in the Central Canadian Arctic and Thule, in Greenland. In other areas, houses were dugouts that were braced with whalebone and rocks.
There are different ways of building igloos, according to area and people, however the most common method is circular and built from available materials, i.e., snow and ice.
Igloos have a small air vent so that smoke can escape, and are often heated with nothing more than a soapstone lamp.
There is a sleeping platform inside the igloo, so that occupants aren't on the frozen ground, itself.
After being occupied for a few days, the walls of an igloo turn to ice.
These snow blocks are 60-90cm (24-36 inches) long and 30-60 cm (11-24 inches) wide.
The igloo is warmer than a tent and can be built anywhere that snow and ice are found.

This story was published on 13 Dec 2004.