This was an interesting memoir to me because it dealt with two overlapping interests of mine: polar bears and the town of Churchill, Manitoba. Churchill is located on the shore of Hudson's Bay, the most southerly spot where one can “easily” go to see these giant predators. I use the quotes because it is not as easy as you think to get to this tundra town. You either fly on one of the limited number of flights or take a long, long train trip.
I went in 2014 on a one day trip, flying out of Calgary really early one Saturday morning, returning on the same plane and getting home after 10 p.m. School buses met us at the airport and trundled us out to the tourist facility where we were quickly herded onto tundra buggies. (Unger was right, the ramps to get into the buggies are reminiscent of cattle chutes.) The bliss of watching big white bears ensued.
I really enjoyed the history of the Churchill area and the town that Unger summarized here. On my trip, we never made it into town, so I got to see it through his eyes. When I was in high school, I had the thought that I'd like to spend time living in the north and now I'm kind of relieved that I never got to do that.
Unger himself wasn't really a guy that I'd want to have a coffee with. He comes across as pretty rigid and judgy. Maybe because I've been one of the tourists that he despises, I found his condescension hard to take. I can appreciate his grumpiness about the politics of polar bear research--it's complicated and it's not advisable to get too black and white in your thinking. You have to be able to multitask and believe several impossible things before breakfast. He seems very invested in right and wrong, picking sides, when I felt that an open mind would have served him much better.
I also hope that he spent more time than it sounded like with his wife and children during their couple of months sojourn in Churchill. His wife must truly love him to put up with his hare-brained schemes. Living in an unfurnished suite with three children, minimal possessions, and the limitations of northern living would be a strain on any relationship. It seemed like he got to do all the cool stuff that cost money and the family had to linger in the unfurnished suite, avoiding bears.
Despite Unger's disdain for people like me, I am seriously considering returning to the tundra as a tourist. No matter what he says, seeing polar bears is an awesome experience.
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