A Manitoba judge ruled the province must reconsider tundra vehicle permits for Lazy Bear Expeditions in Churchill, citing improper denial and lack of conservation evidence.
Manitoba Judge Rules on Polar Bear Viewing Permits
A Manitoba judge has ruled that Natural Resources Minister Ian Bushie must reconsider permits for a company that can no longer take tourists to see polar bears in large tundra vehicles east of Churchill.
In a decision issued on Friday, Manitoba Court of King’s Bench Justice Shawn Greenberg stated that the province acted improperly when it decided not to re-issue two tundra vehicle permits to Lazy Bear Expeditions for the 2025-26 polar bear viewing season.
Greenberg noted that there was no reason for the branch to fail to renew the two permits originally granted to Lazy Bear in 2020. He questioned the provincial wildlife branch’s claims that the decision was made to protect polar bears.
“There is no evidence that polar bear conservation will be improved by reducing the number of vehicles on the tundra from 20 to 18,” Greenberg said in his decision, which responded to a request for a judicial review from Lazy Bear and its owner, Wally Daudrich.
Details of the Case
| Company | Permits | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Lazy Bear Expeditions | 2 | Not renewed |
| Great White Bear | 18 | Active |
| Frontiers North | Active | Active |
Two other ecotourism companies, Great White Bear and Frontiers North, hold a combined 18 permits to operate large tundra vehicles in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area. The decision notes that Great White Bear initiated legal action after the province issued two permits to Lazy Bear in 2020.
On February 27, 2025, provincial wildlife branch director Maria Arlt informed Lazy Bear and Daudrich that their two vehicle permits were being “rescinded” due to the decline of the polar bear population in the western Hudson Bay area and the risk of habituation to polar bear vehicles.
Greenberg stated that evidence suggested the number of vehicles viewing polar bears is only contentious on maintained roads east of Churchill, where 27 tour companies operate, most using conventional vehicles. This is not the case in offroad areas where tundra vehicles operate.
He also mentioned that two stationary tundra lodges operated by Frontiers North and Great White Bear during the polar bear viewing season seem to pose a greater habituation threat to the animals than moving vehicles.
“The impact on the tundra environment by the cooking and waste operated by [Lazy Bear’s] competitors would seem to be more threatening than the two tundra vehicles,” Greenberg stated.
The judge indicated that the evidence suggests the decision not to renew Lazy Bear’s permits was not motivated by conservation. Instead, it appears the province was responding to Great White Bear’s litigation before changing the way it issues permits for polar bear viewing tundra vehicles.
Greenberg noted that Arlt’s letter to Daudrich included a pledge to “restore a fair and transparent allocation process in the future.”
The judge stated that the province should have revised the permitting process “before recommending reverting to a duopoly” where only Frontiers North and Great White Bear are allowed to operate tundra vehicles.
Daudrich expressed satisfaction with the decision but stated he will continue with a separate legal action against the province, two wildlife officials, and three NDP cabinet ministers over the 2025 decision not to renew Lazy Bear’s permits.
Emily Coutts, a spokesperson for the NDP government, said they will review the court decision before deciding on a course of action.
Great White Bear Tours president Kyle Walkowski declined to comment, stating he has not yet read the decision. CBC News requested comment from Frontiers North president John Gunter but did not receive a response before publication.
