Polar Bears - Artic

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In Cochrane Ontario you can swim with Polar Bears

As a former resident of Cochrane Ontario, it is a privilege for me to feature The Polar Bear Habitat on Fradetfineart.

Polar Bear Conservation and Education Habit

How it all began…

Obviously a project as large as the Polar Bear Habitat and Heritage Village takes years of planning and numerous partners. Needless to say it didn't happen overnight. The town of Cochrane has been home to the Polar Bear Express train for more than 40 years and Chimo, the polar bear, has been the town mascot for almost as many years.

Many visitors to Cochrane and passengers of the Polar Bear Express have asked: “Where are the Polar Bears?”. Unfortunately for them there were no polar bears to be seen in Cochrane, traveling on the Polar Bear Express or on their arrival in Moosonee or Moose Factory. Opening the Polar Bear Habitat and Heritage Village has changed all that.

So how did a town with no polar bears become synonymous with the polar bear image? The Polar Bear Express train began running in 1964. This train takes passengers as far as Moosonee and James Bay which are often referred to as the edge of the arctic and the gateway to the North. With the recognition of being the home of the Polar Bear Express it seems only natural that Cochrane would adopt the polar bear as the town's mascot.

In the late 1990's the idea was put forth by the Cochrane and Area Community Development Corporation to build a facility to hold polar bears. Since then the idea has snowballed and the habitat has evolved to incorporate education, research and even a part of our culture with the addition of the heritage village.

The image of the polar bear has served Cochrane well over the years. Now Cochrane will continue that relationship while helping the polar bears.

It may have began with a name, or an idea and “Where are the polar bears?”, but as they say – “The rest is history”

In Cochrane Ontario you can swim with Polar Bears

What is this place...?

In January of 2002, the Town of Cochrane, Northern Ontario, Canada selected a design team consisting of ANO Architects, Ted Maranda and Ursa International to design a Polar Bear Sanctuary as a tourist attraction to enhance their offerings as well as create a place to house surplus Polar Bears from the region.

Not only did they create a place which exceeds the very rigorous Manitoba Standards for Polar Bear Housing, they created a unique destination along the Transcanada Highway. Visitors during summer can cool off in a special pool adjacent to the Polar Bear's pool - offering endless enrichment opportunities for the Bears and a one-of-a-kind opportunities for the visitors! What Cochrane created is a "Swim with the Polar Bears" Experience.

In the Winter, snowmobilers enter the region on extended trips through this Taiga Forest. Cochrane provides a destination and a welcome to those travelers, also, creating a year-round attraction in a very remote location.

The facility can house 5 Polar Bears, with two large habitats on view from a central viewing building as well as a large off-exhibit holding area adjacent to a modern animal management building.

This project offers a long term commitment to creating a win-win situation for Polar Bears.
Additional phases include exhibits for other local animal species as well as a Heritage Village that will tell the story of the early peoples and culture of Northern Ontario.

Project Data

Design began: January 2002
Construction Began: August 2003
Competed: August 2004
cost: approximately $4 million Canadian

client: Town of Cochrane

There is a glass separation from each pool.
"Swim with the bears" is seasonal only

www.polarbearhabitat.ca

Site Plan

Credits

The Cochrane Polar Bear Conservation Habitat
was designed in collaboration with:

J..P. Ouellette - Cochrane Project Manager

ANO Architects - principal in charge
Life Support Engineering - Ted Maranda
Exhibit Design and Planning - Ursa International
Zoological Partners - Dr. Bill Rapley & Paul Harpley, Toronto Zoo

Photos

Ray Bradette
J..P. Ouellette & Andy Cotnam