Up north, near Timmins Ontario, are a series of small lakes formed by glacier activity in the remote past. As the ice age came to an end and the glaciers receded, some chunks of these massive ice blocks were left behind. These chunks become encased in insulting debris and took hundreds of years to melt, and when it did, the insulting layer collapsed, leaving behind shallow but steep sided kettle lakes. Of course, my description is simplistic, so my apologies to the geologist who might be reading this!
Kettle Lake Provincial Park is found about an hour away from Cochrane, which was our current home base for our summer adventures. The hot and humid weather continued unabated, and the insects had been especially thick, and we liberally sprayed ourselves with bug spray. There are several trails throughout the park, and I had no idea what trailhead we were parked at, but there was good parking and a clear trail. Works for me. Spruce and pine left brown carpets of needles underfoot, softening our footfalls. Not that we could sneak up on any creature, as the sound of our smacking mosquitoes reverberated through the undergrowth. The path wound its way up a thickly forested trail, and a faint breeze moved the leaves overhead. We raised our faces to the welcoming coolness and even the little vampires took a break from molesting us. Below, a small dark blue lake stood still and clear, as small ripples of water dot the service as a fish plucked a bug from the surface. As the trail began its descent back to the trailhead, the faint reprieve vanished, and we were once again the local buffet. A change of pace was in order, and we left Kettle Lake and headed further north in search of polar bears.
We rushed along the dirt track, panting with exertion as the hot sun beat down on us. Other footsteps raced towards us, heavy steps thudding on the hard ground. Deep huffs of warm breath escaped from the pursuing creature’s massive maw, as he quickly narrowed the distance between us. We raced for the fence, sweat dripping down our faces and breath ragged in our throats. Just as we reached the fence, the giant polar bear reared up on his hind legs and…..gently licked the seal mush from the metal spoon the young keeper held through the fence links. We had made it just time for the noon meal at the Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat, and we were not the main course!
The Cochrane Polar Bear Exhibit is the World’s only non-profit sanctuary in the world. With over 25 acres of land and a small lake, the centre’s two resident bears roam and explore, and sometimes eat the local groundhogs. We had chosen a private tour of the centre, with an up close and personal experience. A long low red building housed the bears at night, as well as the offices of the keepers. We step into the cool building and are greeted by the unmistakable scent of fish. A small room held a heavy metal cage almost reaching the ceiling. A line on the floor indicated how close we could go, and we were cautioned to silence. The lights were dimmed, and the workers moved to open the doors. Slowly the huge metal doors slide open, letting in sunlight and the vision of a white giant waiting on the other side. He walked towards us, heavily muscled neck swinging from side to side and massive paws silent on the concrete. Henry was eager for his treats and wasted no time in entering the cage. Crate training is a reward, not a negative experience for the bears, and he does not have to do anything he does not want to.
We watched in silence as this majestic beast sat on his haunches just feet from us. This was Henry, a younger bear though still a healthy 1200 lbs. He happily placed his dinner sized front paw in a special part of the cage while one staff practiced a fake blood draw while the other spooned seal blubber into his mouth as he showed off those very large incisors. Henry ignored us, instead intent on his food. We stood in awe, and the immensity of the moment, of being so close to such a massive creature, had tears pricking the back of my eyes. Of course, that was also the fear of what might happen if there were not some metal bars between us. The lights went out, Henry’s cue to leave the training crate and head back out to the habitat, while the caretakers led us to the prep room where food is blended and minced, and fridges hold fish heads, moose meat and seal blubber. This is also where all the data about the bears is continuously updated and collected, with such important information such as how much Henry likes his giant plastic pickle. This is also where we found out that polar bear fur is not white, it is transparent and very coarse. We said goodbye to Henry and left him romping in the viewing pool, where only a sheet of glass separates him from toddlers of the human variety, who were swimming in the adjoining kiddie pool. Somewhat of a tease to the poor bear who probably sees a bunch of tator tots.
Our day was not yet over, and we raced to catch the train that was heading even further north, to the southern edge of the polar bears natural habitat. All the way up to James Bay. Stay tuned for trains, ferries and deer flies the size of dragonflies.