Churchill, Man., claims to be the "Polar Bear Capital of the World", and each fall (in late October and early November), the massive bears congregate near this small town on the southern tip of Hudson Bay to await the "freeze-up" -- when the beasts can go out on the ice and hunt for their main food: Seals.

They'll remain out on the ice until early July, when the ice usually thaws and forces them to return to shore.

Churchill is probably the best, most accessible place in the entire world to see large numbers of polar bears in their natural habitat. After all, it's only about an hour-and-a-half flight from Winnipeg -- and a visit at this time of year is almost a guarantee for the viewing of these magnificent, large land carnivores.

The safest way to view the polar bears is to take a "Tundra Buggy Adventure Tour," but the viewing season is relatively short, and these tours are very popular, so I recommend booking early (tundrabuggy.com). It's possible to fly up to Churchill and back in a single day, but I also recommend spending some additional time in the area.

For example, Frontiers North Adventures offers a six-day tour from Winnipeg (staying three nights in Churchill, sandwiched by a night before and after in Winnipeg. This gives visitors time to not only enjoy the tundra-buggy expedition (for two full days), but also allows time to check out the fascinating northern town.

Churchill grew from a remote outpost to a bustling seaport, and later became a thriving military community. However, the base was decommissioned in the mid 1960s. Tourism is very important here now and the tiny town of about 800 permanent residents has several decent hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops.

Visitors soon discover that polar bears "rule" in Churchill.

There are many signs, murals and statues of the beasts around town. And street names, for instance, have polar bears on them -- even my hotel doorknob's "Please Do Not Disturb" sign was decorated with a picture of a sleeping polar bear!

The curious bears often come right into town -- or very near it -- at this time of year. And there are many posted warnings cautioning about the dangers of encounters with polar bears such as the sign at the nearby beach, which read: "POLAR BEAR ALERT. STOP. DON'T WALK IN THIS AREA."

I also learned that many locals even leave their cars unlocked in case someone needs to make a quick escape.

It's against the law to hunt polar bears in Manitoba, so rifles -- even on dog sleds and buses -- are equipped to "crack" (fire a noise to frighten bears away).

If this doesn't do the trick, then there are special traps set up, and a captured bear is placed in the town's "Polar Bear Holding Facility."

I visited the "bear jail" but wasn't allowed to see the "prisoners."

There's an attempt to make this a very unpleasant place for bears to find themselves, with no food being given and a minimum of human contact, as no one wants the bear to be too comfortable and make it a habit or returning. The "inmates" are eventually tranquillized, placed in a net, and flown by helicopter far out onto the ice, where the are freed to hunt and eat.

If I had to choose a particular time to visit Churchill, it would be early November -- to view those awesome polar bears awaiting freeze-up.

However, this destination is also becoming increasingly popular with birdwatchers, wildflower enthusiasts, and beluga whale fans during the summer (but watch out for the bugs!) and for those colourful, artistic "light shows" (aurora borealis) that are available on cold, clear winter evenings.