Climate change is threatening the polar bears of western Hudson Bay and the tourism industry of Churchill, Manitoba (population: 923), which depends heavily on the furry, photogenic beasts.

“Churchill is unique as a destination. It’s where the sea-ice of western Hudson Bay freezes first, and the bears aggregate each fall, waiting,” remarks John Gunter, Marketing Director of Frontiers North Adventures.

Because the polar bear population of western Hudson Bay effectively funnels through Churchill, for about six weeks of every year, the no-frills, northern outpost offers tourists unmatched wildlife viewing opportunities. Small wonder, then, that the tundra township can unabashedly declare itself as the “Polar Bear Capital of the World.”

However, going forward, whether Churchill will still have its claim to fame may be in question.

According to studies conducted by the Canadian Wildlife Service, a distinct warming trend in the Arctic has resulted in dwindling pack sea-ice and a spring break-up that is now occurring approximately two weeks earlier than historical records indicate.

The polar bears of western Hudson Bay are highly dependent on suitable pack sea-ice conditions. For most of the year, the bears live on the frozen ice hunting seals, a primary food source. When the sea-ice starts to break up in the spring, the bears are forced inland and must survive largely on stored fat until the following winter. A shortened hunting season means less time for polar bears to properly condition themselves for their summer fast, making survival more challenging.

The numbers don’t lie. Between 1987 and 2004, the western Hudson Bay polar bear population declined 22 percent, from 1,194 to 935. The Manitoba Ministry of Conservation pulls no punches on the cause, and warns, “if our society does nothing to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases … the resulting global warming may some day produce ice conditions in Hudson Bay that could not support a population of polar bears.”

Already, it appears that Churchill’s tourism industry is diversifying away from its number one attraction, as the town is increasingly being touted as a locale to watch beluga whales in the spring, birds in the summer, and the aurora borealis in the winter. However, from both an economic and sentimental standpoint, the loss of Churchill’s beloved bears would still be potentially crippling.