A Manitoba judge has ruled that Natural Resources Minister Ian Bushie needs to review the decision to grant permits to a company that is no longer permitted to take tourists to see polar bears in large tundra vehicles east of Churchill.
In a recent ruling, Manitoba Court of King’s Bench Justice Shawn Greenberg found that the province acted incorrectly when it chose not to renew two tundra vehicle permits for Churchill’s Lazy Bear Expeditions for the upcoming 2025-26 polar bear viewing season.
Greenberg stated that there was no valid reason for the wildlife branch to withhold the renewal of the permits initially issued to Lazy Bear in 2020. He also questioned the province’s assertion that the decision was made to protect polar bears, highlighting that reducing the number of vehicles from 20 to 18 would not necessarily enhance polar bear conservation efforts.
According to the judgment, two other ecotourism companies, Great White Bear and Frontiers North, currently hold a total of 18 permits to operate large tundra vehicles in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area. Legal action was taken by Great White Bear following the issuance of two permits to Lazy Bear in 2020.
The court documents indicated that the controversy surrounding the number of vehicles observing polar bears mainly exists on maintained roads east of Churchill, where numerous tour companies operate using standard vehicles, rather than in the offroad areas where tundra vehicles are utilized.
Greenberg also pointed out that the stationary tundra lodges operated by Frontiers North and Great White Bear during the polar bear viewing season could pose a greater habituation risk to the animals compared to moving vehicles.
The judge emphasized that the province’s decision not to renew Lazy Bear’s permits did not appear to be driven by conservation concerns but rather seemed like a response to ongoing litigation from Great White Bear. Greenberg suggested that the wildlife branch should reconsider its permitting process before potentially limiting operations to only Frontiers North and Great White Bear.
In response, Lazy Bear’s owner, Wally Daudrich, expressed satisfaction with the ruling but indicated plans to pursue further legal action against the province and several officials over the permit renewal issue in 2025.
The NDP government’s spokesperson, Emily Coutts, stated that they will review the court’s decision before determining their next steps. Great White Bear Tours president Kyle Walkoski refrained from commenting until he had reviewed the judgment, while there was no immediate response from Frontiers North president John Gunter to CBC News’ request for comment.