Assiniboine Park Zoo Polar Bears Returning Soon to Winnipeg

2010 was a good year for Manitoba, the Polar Bear Capital of the World.
Winnipeg's Assiniboine Park Zoo will once again be housing polar bears in the very near future. Here are some links to the (huge) $31 million dollar announcement.

Funding Announcement for Polar Bears at the Assiniboine Park Zoo The Zoo Society’s Weblog

 

Thanks for the link, and having up to 6 bears and underwater viewing will be terrific. I see that construction isn't supposed to begin until 2011, so this massive project will still be 2-3 years from opening to the public.

 

Sounds like a wonderful exhibit and 6 bears, wow.

 

That's true, it is a couple of years away but work has already started to relocate animals from the areas where the new exhibit will be going so there will be (small) changes for the public in the mean time. I think that Winnipeggers assumed it would be 5 to 10 years after Debby passed away before polar bears would be back in town.

 

News of the upcoming 10-acre, $45 million Arctic complex ("Journey to Churchill"), complete with 3 polar bear habitats and other exhibits, has been announced. Due date is October 2013:

Zoo to hold world-class polar bear exhibit by 2013 - Winnipeg Free Press

 

I don't think that article has a link to the video, so here it is

 

love the video, cant wait!

 

The video link on this thread is 6 minutes long but it certainly appears that the polar bear complex has the potential to be spectacular. The underwater tunnel with bears and seals in close proximity is remarkably similar to Detroit's amazing Arctic Ring of Life, and the addition of reindeer, muskox, foxes and other animals is all very impressive. The tentative opening date is October 2013.

 

Interesting plans! I also had a vision of polar bear exhibit with education room with aurora borealis show on the ceiling.

 

The International Polar Bear Conservation Centre opens this week, and it is the first project completed in the $200 million redevelopment of Assiniboine Park. The 10-acre Journey to Churchill complex (complete with 3 polar bear habitats) is still on course for an opening date of October 2013:

Exhibits at Assiniboine Park Zoo

 

Nice one!

Cannot wait for any of the other developments to come up!

 

Polar bear centre opens at Winnipeg zoo - Thunder Bay - CBC News --> 3D video of the exhibit. At least for me by watching this, it looks amazing! I can't wait for all of it to open.

 

@snowleopard: im a huge polar bear fan. love em. so what's your take on assiniboine park zoo new project for polar bears? how would you compare it with Detroit's awesome arctic ring of life? and whats going to be better or not so good in this one than detriot's? thks matt

 

Construction progress video:

Tour of Journey to Churchill Zoo exhibit construction site - Winnipeg Free Press

 

I just visited the construction site and saw the current plans. The exhibit has the potential to be one of the all time great experiences of polar bears, seals, caribou, musk ox, etc. Lot's of space, lot's of natural substrate, etc. Right now it is all underground foundations and earth moving, so nothing to give you a real idea of how it will come to be

 

Watch this:
Portico Group - Zoos - Assiniboine Park Zoo Journey to Churchill

 

Thanks for posting! A year from now one of the world's great polar bear exhibits will make its debut, and Winnipeg is an ideal location as on average 8 months of the year it is 5 degrees Celsius (41 Fahrenheit) are colder. Brrrrrrr...

 

The first inhabitant of Journey to Churchill, which will open in 2014, has arrived.
Hudson the polar bear arrives in Winnipeg - Manitoba - CBC News

 

Hudson, a 15 month old Polar Bear from Toronto Zoo, has arrived in Winnipeg to be the first inhabitant of Journey to Churchill.
Hudson the polar bear arrives in Winnipeg - Manitoba - CBC News

 

Hudson will be making his public debute Feb 14th.

Zoo to show off new polar bear on Feb. 14 | CTV Winnipeg News