June 6, 2024
The beauty and abundance of Hudson Bay will be celebrated through a series of events in Churchill to honour the water and explore opportunities to secure a healthy future for wildlife and people on June 19-20, 2024.
Water Ceremony
Churchill residents will gather on the shore of Hudson Bay for a traditional water ceremony to honour the life-giving abundance of the Big Water on Wednesday, June 19, 2024.
Susan Kobliski, Indigenous Knowledge Keeper from Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation, will be leading the ceremony with the support of women representing Churchill’s Cree, Dene, Inuit and Métis communities.
Generations of the present will join their ancestors to celebrate their spiritual and divine connections of the Big Water through ceremony, feast and sacred fire. Participants are invited to gather at 1 p.m. at the lower dock. Women are kindly requested to wear long skirts.
Birds Bears and Beluga Party at the Rec
Churchill residents are also invited to a Bears, Birds and Belugas Party at the Rec Centre from 6-9 pm on Wednesday 19, 2024. There will be free food, door prizes, speakers and a performance by the Churchill Northern Lights Choir.
Churchill Storywork Project
The Churchill Storywork Project – which is gathering Indigenous and local stories about polar bears, belugas and bears – will be sharing their stories at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre on Wednesday, June 19 from 10-11:30 am. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.
Honouring the Water Conference at CNSC
People interested in learning more are invited to the Churchill Northern Studies Centre on Thursday for presentations and conversations about National Marine Conservation Areas and ecological and cultural tourism followed by a birdwatching expedition with the National Audubon Society. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and door prizes will be provided.
The gathering is hosted by Ocean’s North and the Manitoba Chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.
A detailed agenda is below.
Why We Want to Protect Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay is losing ice faster than most parts of the Arctic.
That doesn’t just make it harder for polar bears to hunt. It also means there will be more ships in Canada’s great inland sea.
The federal government has identified a huge swath of Hudson Bay that could be protected as a National Marine Conservation Area along the coast of Manitoba.
This could help ensure the survival of polar bears, belugas, sea birds and hundreds of other species which are under increasing pressure from the changes in Hudson Bay.
Federal protection could help maintain and enhance local livelihoods, bolster the region’s tourism industry, create new jobs and bring infrastructure investments.
Learn more here: https://cpawsmb.org/campaigns/hudson-bay/
Honouring the Water Gathering Agenda
Wednesday, June 19, 2024
Hosted by Oceans North and CPAWS Manitoba
Churchill Storywork Project 8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Churchill Northern Studies Centre
1 Launch Rd, Division No. 23, Unorganized, MB R0B 0E0
8:30 – 9:30 am Breakfast & Networking
9:30 – 10:00 am Opening Prayer, Welcoming Remarks and Introductions
10:00 – 11:30 am Gathering Indigenous and Local Stories about Polar Bears, Belugas and Birds
- Kt. Miller, Researcher, Churchill Storywork
- Georgina Berg, Researcher, Churchill Storywork
- Heather Spence-Botelho, Churchill Knowledge Keeper
- Aaron Janzen, Oceans North
11:30 – 12:30 Lunch & Networking
Honouring the Water Ceremony & Traditional Feast 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Lower Dock (Sea North Tour Dock, Port Pl, Churchill, MB R0B 0E0)
- Generations of the present will join their ancestors to celebrate our spiritual and divine connections with the Big Water through ceremony, feast and sacred fire.
Birds, Bears and Belugas Party at Churchill Rec Centre 6:00 – 9:00 pm
In the Overpass (80 La Vérendrye Ave, Churchill, MB R0B 0E0)
- Churchill Mayor Michael Spence
- Environment and Climate Change Minister Tracy Schmidt
- Minister of Sport, Culture and Heritage Glen Simard
Free food, door prizes and a performance by the Churchill Northern Lights Choir.
Honouring the Water Gathering Agenda
Thursday, June 20, 2024
Hosted by Oceans North and CPAWS Manitoba
Honouring the Water Conference 8:30 am – 6:30 pm
Churchill Northern Studies Centre
1 Launch Rd, Division No. 23, Unorganized, MB R0B 0E0
8:30 – 9:30 am Breakfast and Networking
9:30 – 10:00 am Opening Prayer, Welcoming Remarks and Introductions
- CPAWS and Oceans North
- Churchill Mayor Michael Spence
- Environment and Climate Change Minister Tracy Schmidt
10:00 am – 12:00 pm Presentation on National Marine Conservation Areas followed by Q&A
- Carley Basler and Allison Stoddart, Protected Areas Establishment Branch, Parks Canada
12:00 – 1:00 pm: Lunch & Networking
1:00 – 3:00 pm: Presentation on Ecological & Cultural Tourism followed by Q&A
- Churchill Mayor Michael Spence
- Minister of Sport, Culture and Heritage Glen Simard
- Darcie Guarderas, Indigenous Tourism Manitoba
3:00 – 3:30 pm: Wrap-up and Closing Remarks
4:00 – 5:30 pm: Bird Watching Excursion with National Audubon Society (near CNSC)
5:30 – 6:30 pm Dinner