The North West Company announced Feb. 7 that it is donating $50,000 to Polar Bears International for the construction of Polar Bears International House in Churchill.
The facility, currently under construction on donated land on Churchill’s main street, will serve as Polar Bears International’s base camp in Manitoba’s polar bear capital, supporting outreach efforts and serving as an interpretive centre for polar bear research and conservation.
“Thousands of people visit Churchill every fall for the polar bear migration,” said North West Company president and CEO Edward Kennedy in a news release. “Polar Bears International has committed to the community and polar bears through this project. The North West Company is happy to support their efforts as part of our Northern store presence as the largest community-based retailer in Churchill. The completed space will benefit the town, its visitors, and polar bears.”
“We are delighted that the North West Company has joined with other major donors to help us complete this project,” said Polar Bears International executive director Krista Wright. “It’s gratifying to see this commitment to the polar bear’s future. Thanks to the generosity of all who have contributed, Polar Bears International House will allow us to do even more for polar bear conservation.”
Other major donors to Polar Bears International House include the Reiss Family Foundation, John and Nancy Kelleher, Brian and Elizabeth Ruth Hastings, the Annenberg Foundation, Terracon Development, the Asper Foundation, Dick and Valerie Beck, Rosen/Jackson Charitable Fund, Sam Ifergan, Banville & Jones, Kevin White and Thomas Holmes, Gendis, Inc, Murray Auto Group, and Loi and Adele Nguyen.
Polar Bears International is dedicated to conserving polar bears and the sea ice they depend on to live.
The North West Company has 244 stores in Canada, Alaska, the South Pacific and the Caribbean, including Giant Tiger, Northern and NorthMart stores.
