Frontiers North Adventures and Polar Bears International (PBI) are celebrating 25 years of partnership, marking a quarter-century of polar bear conservation, research and responsible tourism in Churchill, Manitoba.
Since formalizing their partnership in 2001, Frontiers North has contributed more than $5.7 million CAD in financial and in-kind support to PBI's research, education and conservation programs.
The relationship, however, goes back even further.
Polar Bears International was founded aboard a Tundra Buggy in 1992, when a group of photographers and wildlife enthusiasts inspired by Churchill's annual polar bear migration established an organization dedicated to protecting the species.
Today, PBI is the only non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to wild polar bears and their sea ice habitat, while Frontiers North operates the specialized Tundra Buggy vehicles that allow visitors to observe polar bears safely in their natural environment.
From the Tundra to Classrooms Around the World
Over the past 25 years, the organizations have worked together to bring polar bear research and conservation education to audiences well beyond Churchill.
In 2009, they launched Tundra Connections, a free educational webcast program broadcasting live from Tundra Buggy One. The program connects scientists working in the Arctic with students and educators worldwide and has reached millions of participants.
The partnership also supports the popular Polar Bear Cams, which began as a two-year pilot project by Frontiers North before PBI became involved.
Today, the cameras operate in partnership with explore.org, allowing more than two million viewers annually to watch polar bears live from the Churchill tundra.
Frontiers North also provides accommodation, transportation and facilities at its Tundra Buggy Lodge for PBI's annual Climate Alliance training program.
The initiative brings together representatives from zoos and aquariums in PBI's Arctic Ambassador Center network, which collectively welcome more than 200 million visitors each year, to strengthen public education about polar bears and climate change.
A Greener Way to See Polar Bears
One of the partnership's most recent developments came in 2025, when the original Tundra Buggy One was retired and replaced with a custom-built, zero-emission electric vehicle.
Powered by hydroelectric energy, the new Tundra Buggy One operates quietly in Churchill's extreme cold, reducing noise and emissions during wildlife viewing and research activities.
The project also demonstrates the potential for electric vehicle technology in remote northern environments.
Beyond research and education, the organizations work with the Churchill community on initiatives that promote safe coexistence between people and polar bears.
The partnership also aims to give visitors a greater understanding of the environmental challenges facing Arctic wildlife, encouraging travellers to take what they learn in Churchill back to their own communities.
“This alliance has had an incredible impact. The Tundra Buggies provide us with a unique opportunity to bring polar bears to people around the world through programs like our Polar Bear Cams and Tundra Connections® webcasts," said Krista Wright, Executive Director of Polar Bears International.
"Frontiers North also provides access to the bears for some of our research projects, hosts our annual Climate Alliance training for zoo professionals, and works with us and the town of Churchill on bear-safe measures. It’s hard to imagine our work in Churchill without them.”
For travel advisors selling Canadian wildlife experiences, the anniversary highlights how tourism in Churchill can support scientific research, conservation education and the local community.
More information about the partnership and its 25-year history is available at pbears.org/frontiersnorth.
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