Churchill Northern Studies Centre

The Northern Studies Center is a great place to see the Northern Lights. We saw them 4 out of 5 nights when we were there and might have been able to see them the 5th night except for the snowstorm. Food was great! Guides to help us learn to use our phones to take pictures were even better

Last year I participated in a trip to see the birds of the Hudson Bay area, based at the at the Northern Research Centre Churchill. It was held in May and early June. Unfortunately for the centre, enrollment was low, and it turned out that my friend and I were the only participants. I am sure the centre lost money on this trip, but they graciously agreed to hold the trip just for us. It was a great adventure, led by a knowledgeable guide with an international reputation, Doug McRae. Doug was dedicated and solicitous, and was eager to show us all the wonders of the Hudson Bay wilderness. I have mainly done my birdwatching in Western Europe, the American tropics and subtropics, Southwestern desert and mountains, so many of the species we saw were new to me. Doug made sure we had every opportunity to see whatever target species we were looking for. By trip's end, we had seen some 99 species, in addition to polar bears (a mother and cubs), a black bear, a snow hare and Beluga whales. Although it was a bit rainy, cloudy and windy through the week, it would have been possible to see the Northern Lights. Alas, we did not see them during this trip. As mentioned, we were very impressed with Doug, and we thoroughly enjoyed our interactions with other staff members and researchers at the Centre. The dormitory accommodations were basic but comfortable. The food was healthful and quite sufficient, despite our location so far north and off the beaten track. We were well looked after and had every opportunity to see an abundance of birds and wildlife. It is a beautiful area, and I was quite thrilled to finally experience Hudson Bay and the sub-Arctic muskeg. I highly recommend this trip to other birdwatchers, and would hope you get the benefit of being guided by Doug. The daily trips to the boreal forest were not strenuous, so persons with average mobility will find them enjoyable and fun. If you have an interest in Willow Ptarmigans, Loons, Hudsonian Godwits and much, much more, you can't do better than to sign up for this trip.

Beautiful place to either visit on a day pass, a 6 day learning vacation or volunteer and stay program. Amazing scenery and observation deck. Good accommodations, very clean with lovely staff. It is a LEED certified building and is quite interesting to go on their Green Building Tour. They are on the property of the historic rocket range which is really awesome to see. They have a tent set up in the middle of boreal forest and have lots of great things they teach about ecology, local culture and animal pelts. Perfect place to view the aurora borealis.

My mom and I are staying in Churchill for 2 nights and decided to do a guided tour. Alex was our guide. She came to pick us up, made a small detour on the way so we could see Miss Piggy, and taught us a lot of history and facts about the area on our way to the center. She was a great tour guide, I highly recommend the guided tour! She made another small detour on the way back so we could see more interesting landmarks in the area. It was such a good experience I can't say it enough. Absolutely worth it, made our trip so memorable! Thank you Alex!!

Look this way if you are looking to sign up for the volunteer expedition during bear season! I had a blast volunteering at Churchill this Nov, 2023 during bear season! I've seen a lot of Polar bears, other Arctic species, Northern lights, as well as met quite a few passionate guests, staff and volunteers. The program is also very educational, I learned about the subpopulation of Polar bears in Churchill, the town's history, researchers' projects and the behind-the-scene operations of the research center's LEED certified green building. I just have a few constructive criticism on the volunteer expedition. They have both short-term and long-term volunteer programs. Long-term is 3 months through a Canadian youth program and short-term is 2 weeks and open to the public (what I did). Expect to share a dorm room with 3 other volunteers during busy seasons and work out bunking situation. During my stay there, volunteers were scheduled to work 6 days in a row for 6 hours a day, 1 day for a Tundra Buggy ride, work another 6 days and 1 day for a town tour/dog sledding. Those 2 days were considered off days for volunteers so there wasn't much room for leisure time. Duties for short-term volunteers were kitchen duties and housekeeping only. Long-term volunteers were responsible for tours, guest interactions, night duties, Rocket Greens harvest and helping out with kitchen duties as extra hands. Volunteers were allowed to take turns to put our names down for a vehicle in a week to go out and explore on our own if there was one available. On days with bad weather or a lot of guests, it wasn't guaranteed to get a vehicle. Best strategy is to reserve a vehicle in advance and check on the day of reservation to secure one. But again, there's no guarantee. Guests and researchers get prioritized for a vehicle before volunteers. We got out quite a bit on our own so that was fun! We asked for a day off and another Tundra Buggy ride, which were both granted. So don't be afraid to ask the staff for some wiggle room as long as you are respectful and open. The staff was a bit overwhelmed during bear season due to staffing issue so I had to chased them down lol. We didn't get helicopter rides but again, don't be afraid to ask. At the end of the day, we all came a long way to experience Churchill, its beautiful nature and wildlife. Volunteers get to go on the helicopter if there's space. The 4 stars are for the excellent experience with hiccups on the miscommunication and volunteer expectations. The research center tried its best to keep the lights green and were dependent on volunteers so it wasn't anyone's fault in particular, the volunteers just happened to be caught in the middle of a storm. But expectations could be set more clearly and realistically. The volunteer expedition description includes both short-term and long-term volunteer responsibilities, which can be a bit confusing for the short-term volunteers. This is also my experience and I can only speak for my own experience, you may get a complete different experience when they are fully staffed. However, I want to write this review to clarify the expectations for anyone who's interested in signing up!

Was just here with a student group and had a wonderful time. The staff was awesome and the facility looks great. Rooms such as the aurora dome and other spaces were great for hanging out and making the most out of our time here. Thank you CNSC.

The BEST place for the polar bears or belugas experience. Their organization is great, the place is beautiful and well kept, the people is the nicest and the food is AMAZING. Worth it in every single aspect. Can't stress enough how much I loved my stay here.

If you want to see polar bears and learn about them, this is the place. The speakers are absolutely committed to the issue and to global warming. The accommodation has several rooms with two bunk beds each, the bathroom is airport type, the showers have valves for water control ... The food is frugal, it is like a university accommodation ie Spartan. But it's worth. The staff is very kind and helpful, and there are many activities, two days spent watching polar bears, and there are also hiking around, a helicopter ride (weather permitting) and a citytour in Churchill (very interesting). I liked very much!

The Churchill Northern Studies Centre is an independent, non-profit research and education facility located 23 km east of Churchill. This was my home during my 2006 Earthwatch trip - Climate Change at Arctic's Edge - led by Dr. Peter Kershaw of the University of Alberta. The Centre sponsors various Arctic research programs and offers various educational programs through various universities and even Elder Hostel. The Centre has comfortable bunk accomodations, a very good cafeteria that serves 3 square meals a day, a gift shop, computer support (including internet access), meeting rooms, laboratory space, equipment support, and transporation to and from the Churchill Town Site, Airport, and Train Station. Alcohol can be consumed on site, but the Centre doesn't sell it. For that, there's a well-stocked (and popular) liquor store in Churchill. During my stay (October) I also got to see a Polar Bear and the Northern Lights, share Canadian Thanksgiving at the Centre, and have a "Northern" meal that included Caribou and Arctic Char. Beluga Whales can be seen at other times of the year. I was so impressed with my stay including the people who run it that I became a member of the Centre and contribute annually. They do great work that deserves my support.

Just back from a northern lights program--see more recent reviews on Trip Advisor. Highly recommend the facility for any of their programs.

I was a volunteer at the CNSC so I have spent a lot of time in the centre. The building itself was only opened in 2011 so the facilities are still fairly new. All of the accommodation is Dormitory style with 4 beds (2 bunks) to a room with bathrooms down the hall and separate showers. To stay at the centre you need to be part of a group, a learning vacation or be a researcher but it is a very affordable option especially with 3 very filling yummy meals a day. It has some other good facilities like an Aurora Dome so you don't have to go outside to see the Aurora, an AV room, a Rec room with Pool Table and even a small Gym. Even if you don't stay here it, it is a good place to stop to use the washrooms, have a coffee for a small donation or go and check out the view from the Aurora Dome. And its worth checking out the gift store cause all proceeds go to the centre. And if you feel like staying in Churchill for a little longer than why not think about volunteering because for me it was a pretty good experience.