Over the past 12 months, the volunteer board of the Canadian Polar Bear Habitat Charity has worked tirelessly to transition the management of the Polar Bear Habitat facility from the Town of Cochrane to the Charity and implement a vision based on polar bear conservation, research and education.
Today, we made the difficult decision to withdraw from further negotiations with Cochrane Town Council to transition operations of the facility. Regrettably, a number of actions recently taken by Town Council, including the dismissal of the Habitat’s highly respected Conservation Coordinator, has led us to conclude that Town Council is no longer aligned with the conservation vision advanced by the Charity.
The Town of Cochrane, as the owner and operator of the Habitat, continues to have ongoing responsibility for the care and welfare of Ganuk, Henry and Inukshuk. The Charity will continue to take a direct interest in the welfare of the bears.
The Canadian Polar Bear Habitat Charity remains fully committed to supporting research and education that advances the conservation of wild bears and elevates the standard of care for polar bears in human care. We want to assure you that 100% of your contributions have been, and will continue to be, used to achieve these goals. The Board will be expanding its efforts and looking at ways to fund and support other initiatives, programs, and organizations that share our vision to advance scientific knowledge and contribute to the long-term survival of polar bears. We look forward to providing you with further updates as we move forward.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at partnerships@canadianpolarbearhabitat.ca.
Thank you for your ongoing support and we look forward to continuing working with you to promote the conservation of polar bears through research and education.
Board of Directors
Canadian Polar Bear Habitat Charity