"...Thompson Girl walking from Churchill
Across the icy world with polar bears, it's mostly uphill."
But when she saw that nickel stack
She whistled hard and I whistled back."

Thompson, Manitoba is central Canada's gateway to the Arctic. It is the last major community before the trees end and the frozen tundra begins. It is located in the centre of Northern Manitoba and was named for a long time employee of the giant Canadian Nickle outfit: INCO. The town is relatively young, having been first developed in 1956 when Dr. John Thompson and his INCO buddies discovered a large Nickle deposit in the area.

Further North and East of Thompson, on the Western shore of Hudson's Bay, sits the town of  Churchill. Churchill bills itself as the "Polar Bear Capital of the World." The many bears and spectacular view of the Northern Lights attract many a tourist to Churchill's numerous unique motels. The small city shows evidence of 4,000 years of habitation, and can claim to be among the oldest towns in Canada. It was first explored by Europeans in 1608, and was incorporated as a British Fortress in 1717.