WINNIPEG - Inviting adventurous travellers to get up close and personal with arctic wildlife in its natural habitat, VIA Rail Canada's Hudson Bay service ushers passengers from the southern prairies of Manitoba to its remote northern tundra. The two-night, well off the beaten path journey brings outdoor enthusiasts to Churchill, a town of 800 inhabitants that, despite offering premier snowshoeing, snow-mobiling and dog-sledding excursions, is known primarily for one thing: the majestic polar bear.

Churchill hosts one of the world's largest known polar bear maternity denning areas. High-season for viewing these immense, impressive creatures is mid-October through mid-November, and VIA's Hudson Bay service brings passengers to the bears in very comfortable fashion.

VIA's Hudson Bay service departs three times per week, year-round, in each direction. This two-night trip offers both Sleeper Class and Comfort Class (economy) accommodations. Sleeping car passengers can choose from a variety of accommodations, from the economical lower and/or upper berth to the enclosed single, double and triple bedrooms. All sleeping car accommodations include convenient amenities such as shower access and shower kits.

Sleeper Class passengers also can enjoy delectable regional cuisine in the train's dining car (including the popular Artic Char), and VIA's friendly staff will help with any need, whether finding something on the train or properly storing your cross-country skis or snow shoes. And on the Hudson Bay, anywhere can be a destination, with "special stop" service allowing passengers to disembark anywhere along the route given 48 hours advance notice.

As there are no highways leading into Churchill, VIA's Hudson Bay service provides optimum opportunity to experience the tundra and artic terrain landscape. Along with the fall Polar Bear season, from September to April (peaking from January to March) travellers will be mesmerized by the enchanting, colourful and rhythmical "Northern Lights" (Aurora Borealis). Anchoring the Hudson Bay route are Winnipeg and Churchill:

Winnipeg, Manitoba is the province's largest city and cultural center. Once a center for fur trading, visitors to Winnipeg now can enjoy world-renowned ballet, a stroll around the city's French Quarter, or a trip to the historical crossroads "The Forks," the site of many of the city's largest festivals where the Red and Assiniboine rivers meet. Assiniboine Park is a favourite amongst Winnipeg's residents, featuring the city's zoo, English and French gardens and various outdoor activities.

Churchill is located on the banks of Hudson Bay in northern Manitoba, and is known as the polar bear capital of the world. Churchill also offers a variety of outdoor activities such as ecological hikes, fishing, dog-sledding and snow-mobiling. Visitors to Churchill should bring their cameras and make sure to capture the endless luminosity of the tundra during the day and magnificent northern lights at night.

Travelers can connect with the Hudson Bay in Winnipeg by using VIA's Canadian thrice-weekly service from Toronto or Vancouver. Winnipeg also has an international airport with direct or one-switch access to cities across Canada.

Customers can visit VIA's secure Web site at www.viarail.ca to book their complete trip with one-stop shopping for trains, cars, hotels and activities. Passengers also can book their tickets by calling 1-888-VIA-RAIL (1-888-842-7254) or through their travel agent. VIA Rail's travel packages website, www.viarail.ca/packages, allows travellers to choose from a variety of tour operators that offer packages that include rail and lodging. For complete tour programs that showcase VIA's Hudson Bay, please visit the package section of VIA Rail's Web site at www.viarail.ca/packages, and select "Hudson Bay" from the drop-down menu in the "VIA Rail Trains Featured" section. Following are samples of available packages for this year's peak polar bear season:

• Churchill Northern Adventure Tour - John Steel Tours invites adventurers to experience "the lord of the arctic" during their eight-day polar bear expedition. Originating in Winnipeg, this vacation includes round-trip accommodations on VIA Rail's Hudson Bay, lodging, a day of touring on a Tundra Buggy, one day of aerial touring and a third day dog-sledding. Each tour will offer a different perspective to seeing this areas most famous inhabitant, the polar bear. This trip departs October 12 and 19, November 2 and 9. For more information or to book this trip visit www.johnsteel.com.
  
  
• Hudson Bay Polar Explorer - Offered by Rail Travel Canada, this seven-day polar bear excursion combines rail and air travel and rustic accommodations in the town of Churchill. With the option to either take VIA's Hudson Bay on the departure or return, Rail Travel Canada offers two days of polar bear searches aboard the Tundra Buggy and the option to either enjoy a third day with either a local native (First Nations) learning about the culture of this remote destination or to tour the tundra with a "musher" and his dog-sledding team. This trip features October 24 and 31 departures. For more information or to book a trip with Rail Travel Canada visit www.railtravelcenter.com.

As Canada's national passenger rail service, VIA Rail Canada's mandate is to provide efficient, environmentally responsible and cost effective passenger transportation services, both in Canada's business corridor and in remote and rural regions of the country. VIA serves more than 450 communities with a network of inter-city, transcontinental and regional trains. Demand continues to grow as more Canadians turn to train travel as a safe and convenient travel choice.

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