Time.
It is defined as “the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future.” Apropos for this report.
Should we ride the Polar Bear Express (PBX) and visit Moosonee and Moose Factory?
It is time to answer the question, and “time is of the essence” when you venture northwards. It is also the time to be patriotic and discover our back roads – “Elbows up.”
That’s what we found out about last week. It was a travelogue with complementary information from a visitor’s perspective, not through the eyes of the destination. Now it is time to bring some clarity – like in the blink of an eye.
There’s lots to do in Moosonee and on Moose Factory island, there are five choices with some variability based on time management. It was discovered there are two communities, very different and separated by the Moose River, a myriad of delta islands.
It was stated you could stay overnight but realize there are limited accommodations and food; there’s the Super 8 by Wyndham in Moosonee with rates about $300 per night (with the continental breakfast type of food fare) and limited bed and breakfast options (do the Google search). There is an accommodations tab on the Town of Moosonee website.
When you depart the train you are in a different space. We discovered you can walk about, or take a land taxi, a water taxi or the ferry - you will have to make choices. This is not something to decide upon when you get there, you must be prepared.
This week the PBX and how the train ride is connected to the destinations. It has been a mainstay since 1964.
The train
You probably will stop at the polar bear tourism icon when arriving in Cochrane.
You can’t miss Chimo. As you make the big left turn west on Highway 11 North. You are welcomed by the 10.7-metre tall fibreglass polar bear which is the starting point of the PBX and the Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat attraction.
The Board of Trade held a polar bear drawing contest amongst the primary schools in 1969. It was an art contest to design a flag for the Cochrane Winter Carnival. Claude Labelle, who was in elementary school designed, created and won the flag contest. The flag had a blue background with a white polar bear in the centre. It is said the logo was the inspiration for the mascot.
The name of Chimo, the statue bear, means friendship or greetings in Inuktitut. The saying “Chimo” has also been around for many years as the greeting of choice during the town’s winter carnival which has been around since 1934.
There are no polar bears to see in Moosonee and Moose Factory so visit Cochrane’s Polar Bear Habitat. For customer satisfaction, timewise, is to ask when they feed the bears.
The Ontario Northland Transportation Commission runs the PBX not the tourism opportunities at the destinations. It does not market the PBX as a tourism train like the Algoma Canyon Train.
From the website: “The Polar Bear Express passenger train is an essential transportation service used primarily by the residents of Moosonee and Moose Factory travelling to and from Cochrane, Ontario. The train is also used by passengers travelling to fish, hunt, camp and participate in the many tourism activities in the region.”
There is no “all aboard” when you board the Polar Bear Express.
But the train ride is relaxing, soothing - trains are like that. The seats are comfy and spacious, the new wifi really works and the dining car is sufficient (see the online menu) , the service is very good, and the windows are clean. The coaches got a facelift in 2014 on its 50th birthday and last year’s ridership was about 56,000, a 5.8 per cent increase from last year. The ONTC does not keep any tourism stats on ridership, I asked their media relations.
The last customer SurveyMonkey ONTC did was on Facebook in 2020; you can find it.
It is all about travelling through the boreal forest towards the Hudson and James Bay lowlands. It is a ride through green. It is characterized by coniferous trees like spruce, fir, and pine of different sizes and shapes. The forest floor is typically covered in mosses and lichens - a unique environment to view. The hues and tones make for a moving landscape – the train ride is the gallery tour on wheels – when you look underneath it is called a rail truck.
Along the way are many creek and river crossings, like the expansive Moose River bridge crossing, and you will see Otter Rapids Generating Station on the Abitibi River. It is a ride of about five hours, one way. Time passes by.
The train usually has one to two canoe cars for those paddling the remote rivers entering the James Bay coastline and a dedicated Canada Post car. There are postcards at the town office, and there is a post office but with no outside slot.
The Conductor that day was four-year veteran Mike Courtney, who previously spent eight years in Hornepayne working for CN Rail. He is one of those hybrid conductor/engineer types. He was very helpful and allowed me to safely take photos with good guidance.
He said there were a few tourists riding that day and directed me towards them.
Mike said, “I love the boreal scenery all along the way, it’s northern Ontario at its finest.” He said not many riders stay over in Moosonee, even as the numbers on the train increase through the summer.
Get ready, set your timepiece.
What to do?
You read last week’s story about what there is to do. There have been many tourism stories (Northern Ontario Travel) on Moosonee, Moose Factory and the train, but they don’t get to the heart of the matter.
So, before booking a ticket online. I wanted to be sure of what there was to do and how to do it.
Take a look at this link for information on the train. There is a chat line, and there is a customer service line to call.
On the chat line I received back, most likely a webform response. It gave me five contacts to call. One was the Cree Cultural and Interpretive Centre, which was previously cited last week and later in this story.
So then… Creegonquin Furs and Tours – 705.336.3006, Northern 4 Adventure Tours – 705.363.7124, Riverview Tour – 705.336.8439 and Sutherland Exploration Services – 249.878.4725. I reached and talked to three (after repeated calls – there was no answer for Sutherland or available information on Facebook). These are independent operators with boats of various sizes, who will do tours (custom-designed of various lengths) and help with accommodations. See this link. These are probably your best bets if you want to see what this destination has to offer by staying over; all were helpful with detailed responses.
I tried calling ONTC customer service, but it was a different story. There were four calls before and after my trip, (May 29 – as the train departed the station, June 5, June 16, June 17 to different ONTC customer service agents, 1-800-265- 2356 ext. 2. ). The question, “What is there to do in Moosonee and Moose Factory?”
The first call, I was flabbergasted when the representative said, “…there isn’t really much to do there…” There was additional probing, but the void of information remained. He also said he had “lived there for years.” He said, “You can walk around town and visit the Northern Store.”
The second experience, the agent (she) mentioned “whale watching” and the “ferry ride” and through a redirect, a couple of websites…but the .ca and .com internet addresses were incorrect.
Three times lucky? I called at 4:14 p.m. on Monday, June 16. I remained on the phone until 4:45 – there was no “your call will be answered as soon as a customer representative is available,” or where you are in the queue by place and time.
The fourth call was the next day at 2:58 p.m.. It went like this. The customer service rep. answered (new person). She did say, “Not sure what there is to do there, but you could Google it.” But being a thoughtful service attendant…”Hang on…I will connect you to the Cochrane station, they may know, there should be pamphlets (705 – 272-4228), but the digital prompts landed me back to the original voice.
Then she called Cochrane for me (good service), put me on hold, came back to me and said, “They said there’s not much to do there…walk around and see the sites.”
She again offered help and redirected me to the Moosonee train station (705-336-2210).” I got a real person there, I queried and then after a pause, “There’s Northern College that has some display cases, the churches are open, there’s a coach with displays (meaning the railway museum operated by the town)…on the island I think there’s a cultural centre with a teepee and they serve food… You can look at the Town of Moosonee website.”
I had to be proactive in all of my prompts and supplementary questions.
So? Time to do your due diligence.
Views
On May 29, on my way up on the train, I think I talked to all tourists (identified by the Conductor, who knew, from his perspective), on the train. Mind you, it was still early in the season. And I asked the visitors to get back to me. And they did with varying degrees of description about their time.
Dorothy and Mike Rainey, and some friends are from Teeterville. (I did not know of Teeterville, it is SW of Brantford and NW of Simcoe. In fact, they live on the corner of Teeterville Rd. and Teeterville St. I do like that name. It reminded me of Hooterville, a fictional rural community that served as the setting for the classic American sitcoms Petticoat Junction and Green Acres.
“Hi Bill, it was so nice to meet you,” Dorthy said in their email response. “I really enjoyed the train, we met interesting, friendly people both on the train and in Moosonee. It made me realize how very vast our province really is. It was interesting to see the different stages of regrowth after the various forest fires. In Moosonee, we met a few people at the Northern College who shared lots of interesting information about the school, the town and the town's future. I wish we had had more time in town to explore more of the area.”
She said, “I would go again, Mike thought it was too long of a train ride for one day, and it's very expensive to stay over. No, there was really no information about what to do there. I searched the internet but couldn't find a lot without taking the boat over to Moose Factory, and there really wasn't time for that. I am so glad the two girls from the college stopped us and offered to show us around the college.”
Why come on a trip? I asked two brothers, George and Jim McMaster, who were originally from KL City (Kirkland Lake). George (Dr. George McMaster, Professor Emeritus, Brandon University) sent along their experience.
“For us, this was to be an intriguing trip, especially after reading about Adam Shoalt’s adventures.
“The definition of the word adventure implies a need for a little danger. For me, a long trip through the boreal forest and the danger of forest fires doesn’t quite qualify. However, the ‘water’ ride to Moose Factory didn’t disappoint. The water taxis were not the expected boats. We lined up with many of the people who lived on the Island and waited - a poor use of our time.
“My brother and I had started to discuss the lack of any tourist greeting or information at the train station, and the limited time we had to be able to wait in line for a ferry. One young native woman (a real entrepreneur) had walked with us. She talked a little about the residential schools and the very challenging aspects, but spoke with grace.
“We ended up in a water taxi where the transom was totally remade - when purchased, the operator said he had re-fibreglassed it and attached a large metal plate, all good to prevent it sinking, but not good optics for tourists. The roof was created by rough 2 by 4’s, some cracked, with a stapled tarp with a paddle wedged in (and it fell out on us in rough Water), the front window was not fastened and was banging, and my brother cautioned me to hold it or I could be injured.
“On the ride over, we flew in the air in the rough water and my brother’s back hurt. We landed on cushions that had lost the glued-on covers, exposing the long-dried white glue. I also had the thought that this taxi might not make it back to town because of the wind and large waves, and the tipping possibility. … hmm. An Adam Shoalts-type of adventure after all, with this danger. Wow!
“By the time we got to Moose Factory, almost an hour and a half had passed. With limited time left, we wanted to peek at Moose Factory, and the teenage boat driver promised that he would wait at the dock for us. We quickly climbed the hill and ‘peeked’ and RAN back to the dock … and the boat was gone! Would we be back in time to catch the train? More adventure! Then a beautiful aluminum boat pulled up at the adjacent dock. I waved frantically, and an officious man walked up and asked if he could help. I thankfully said yes, 'Please, can you take us back to the mainland?' He said, 'No can do, we are a hospital boat and cannot transfer others!
“Eventually, back to the mainland we went, and we felt relief walking on the train landing.
“I live with the saying, 'behind every adversity is the seed of an equal or a greater opportunity.' It worked out, we met Back Roads Bill and learned a lot. Also met two young wildfire firefighters on the train who were wonderful and reaffirmed our faith in young workers.”
Would they come again?
“Absolutely not. In retrospect, it was foolish to think that we could get a meaningful result in three hours. A visit to Moosonee with absolutely no marketing information and support is destined to disappoint. The wonderful young lady who had walked us to the boat landing had said that a lot of visitors go to the Northern store to see the high food prices. Not a sterling attraction?
“I read a review article about the Mayor of Moosonee giving a talk on the people and culture, and history of Moosonee, which was alleged to be wonderful and informative and was held in a mini museum. It was closed, however, with the limited time we had, we would likely not be able to attend due to the lack of time.
“We were interested in meeting some of the Indigenous peoples and other people that live there, and had read a little about the Native origins. There is no attempt on ONTC’s part to create a tourist opportunity, so their ads are designed solely for transportation for the residents to create a little more profit. The town and Moose Factory do no advertising and possibly do not see the tourist benefits of doing so.
“I would not expose anyone to the disappointment that they would experience. You would have to warn anyone accompanying you of the challenges you would face, the lack of tourist information, and the need to be in good physical condition to walk.”
New. There were also four people from Tasmania! Denise Wehnert left Canada in 1975. She brought her children to the PBX when they were nine and twelve, and all of them were again exploring their past, in the present. Michael Norman is the husband of the younger daughter, Jennifer. He really “wanted to see the immenseness of the boreal forest.” I last saw them downtown, and they have yet to respond.
There are reviews on TripAdvisor and YouTube videos.
Recommendations
These do not stem from being cantankerous or authoritarian. My “six” senses were wide open for assessment; the big hand on the clock was moving.
My past resume includes consulting on the Timber Train (which once ran from Mattawa to Témiscamingue, Quebec), Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat, ATV Trails in Ontario, a conceptual interpretative centre, based on the paper mill history in Iroquois Falls, the Canadian Ecology Centre, an extensive tourism study for former MP Benoît Serré when the riding was then Timiskaming—French River, tourism junkets through FedNOR to Ely Minnesota (it is an organized tourism destination – par excellence) for northeastern Ontario tourism operators, the wooden sculptures in Mattawa, geocaching across Canada, zip lines in Temagami and others. I stated I was there for four days and had visited previously.
One. The ONTC should consider including more destination information on its website. Or at least inform the passengers that they have to create their own itinerary and point them in that direction. The chat line was the best alternative to start my own sleuthing.
Have more customer information for ONTC agents regarding what you can do in Moosonee and Moose Factory. Knowing it is the responsibility of the destination hosts to have this in place. Customer service agents need more access to information for dissemination to riders, and to training that may be required. Having them experience the destination choices is experiential education. Through a script, and more on the chat line responses.
At the time of publication, I found out from Passenger Care - 1.800.461.8558 - email, there were no QR codes for a train trip interpretative tour. This would be a good story to write, and then make them readily available online and at the station. As stated, the wifi on the train is almost excellent.
Some thoughts on food choices – gluten and dairy free for the dining car (there are gluten-free cookies).
The AC on the train varies from coach to coach, so bring layers, which might be noted on the website, now I am being uber detailed.
Two. Moosonee. Take a look at the town’s website. It says: “Pick up your free ‘Town of Moosonee Visitor Information Guide‘ at the Town Office, located at 5 First Street. Also available at the Town Office, for purchase, are a selection of souvenirs with the Town of Moosonee Logo, including polo shirts & t-shirts, pins, baseball hats, travel mugs, and postcards.”
Upon arrival, there’s not much time to go there, so more details on the website will help. Or have them at the station or just below.
The Town of Moosonee has to ensure the railway museum is open for the three hours, and perhaps have a person there to be an ambassador of sorts. The visuals are getting “a little long in the tooth,” but the content remains interesting.
When I visited, it was not officially open (not yet July), but through a come-by-chance meeting with a recreation department employee, René Fougere, the tour was on. “Came to visit my pharmacist friend, fourteen years back, stayed, fell in love with the community, then met a lady friend and stayed.” He has been employed by the town for a decade, BTW - his pharmacist friend – left Moosonee. He was very candid.
The map sign at the railway car museum could be turned perpendicular to the street to have it oriented to the downtown and waterfront. Look at the scale bar, this will help with timing and decisions – what to do?
Three. Watch for the Moose Factory Cree First Nation’s (MCFN) new website.
As of this date, it is not yet launched. I suspect there will a great deal of information on “what to do.” It is always wonderful when there is a “real” person. Contact Kim Cheechoo, Tourism Officer (705) 658-2733, or kim.cheechoo@moosecree.com . She is a helpful leader. Ask her about alternative accommodation.
Four. For Tidewater Provincial Park, see the Ontario Parks website. There’s good information there. If you are canoeing over, ask if the long dock, which compensates for tides, is in place. There’s also a BBQ there in a second shelter – ask if it is operational because you could take over a 5 lb propane cylinder (check with the train to see if this can be transported in the baggage car). You should bring your own water, as you most likely are staying over one night. And a box or two of wood in cardboard boxes will help. If you like to car camp, this is a great option to stay over and use the water taxis to your advantage to see everything. Hook up with one of the independent tour operators.
Five. This is a difficult one, as the land and water taxis are owned by independent First Nation operators. Getting around using their transport is critical to choosing destinations. Their cell numbers are critical as to who is working or not. These need to be posted either on the town’s or MCFN’s website. The list available in the Moosonee station was two years old.
Six. A change in the train schedule and allowing four hours would help. The train may be able to depart Cochrane at 8 AM. The visitors queried said they all stayed in Cochrane, so there are gains at the south end – two nights of economic benefit impact.
Seven. Not sure how to prioritize the visitors as opposed to the residents when everyone gets off the train all at once and needs a ride, and there are not enough taxis for all. This was mentioned above: everyone is in the queue. Or, alternatively, like at an airport, when you arrive, service providers post white signs with your name on them. If these numbers and names were available, you could book their service in advance, which might be an increased fee – but worth it. If the numbers are available and operators wish to do so.
Other notes. The water taxis should inform patrons of where the life jackets are and what to expect – safety-wise wise in case of an emergency. I took several rides with different operators, and this was not in place. This is not a deep dive, but important to risk management. Not sure if they are certified (?). Ask this question to AI: Are the water taxis in Moosonee certified or inspected? (You can add Moose Factory to the query.) The town bylaw is No. 18-13, but that seems to be land taxis. On water, PFDs are your “seat belts” (Billism). There, no one dons a lifejacket – residents or visitors, and I was a hypocrite.
The price for water and land taxi service is fine and worth it. There seems to be a community code of who and when there is availability. There are way more water taxis than on land.
Tips. You can walk to the public docks for a water taxi or take the Niska 1 ferry - reach out at 705-658-4335 or niska@ontarioferries.com - it is further to walk to, see the map. Their departure time schedule is finite.
If you are walking around town, pick your destinations. You could hail a land taxi to take you to the furthest destination and make your way back.
Bring cash to get around using the land and water taxis. The water taxi ride to the island is less than ten minutes.
Remember, there are limited food options, and dress for the weather forecast.
What’s Next?
The Mayor of Moosonee, Wayne Taipale (tai-pala – Finnish), said he has been working with senior ONTC officials to improve the service, including a dome car and train schedules.
Back in the 80s, he said hundreds of visitors would walk off the Polar Bear Express train to visit Moosonee during the tourism boom of years gone by. The influx of tourism gave local residents of Moosonee and Moose Factory the opportunity to sell crafts.
Also operating at the time was the Polar Princess, a 65-foot boat with a capacity of 100 passengers. The Polar Princess would take visitors to the mouth of the Moose River to experience the inland ocean of James Bay or Fossil Island. When the tour was over, visitors would head back on the train that same night.
The Mayor said, “Unfortunately, as the train schedule changed to run less frequently and the tourism boom died down, the operator, Two Bay Tours, went out of business, leaving behind the current small-operation style of tourism available in the town.”
You can see the Polar Princess in dry dock on your town tour - in a deteriorating condition. (The ONTC had it for sale – not sure of the status.)
The Mayor also said when the Northlander train service returns to the main line in 2026 from Toronto to Cochrane/Timmins, “there should be an increase in ridership.” At one time, he said, “There were hundreds of tourists on the streets.”
Tick-tock.
Decision time
Should you ride the Polar Bear Express from Cochrane to Moosonee and Moose Factory?
A conditional yes.
But you can’t do it all. There’s a lot to see with limited time. It is a unique place with a considerable amount of cultural and natural heritage – to appreciate, yours to discover.
Two options that need sorting out. You will have to prioritize the approximately two-and-a-half hours plus within your brief stay at the end of the line. Or your choice may be with the independent tourism operators and stay the night, and not be involved so much in trying to move so quickly to maximize your experience.
In summary, there was a heyday of tourism here and there are now some leaders trying to reestablish tourism opportunities in both communities. You need to do your homework and plan, so you won’t be disappointed. And the train, the town and the island must play a part in helping the tourists.
This destination is a northern Ontario gem; some cooperative light may return its lustre.
It is TIME to get organized, and it is tourism of the essence on the back roads.