Life is Different at the End of the Road

One of the most interesting places that I've travelled to in my work with the International Wolf Center has been Thompson, Manitoba. Surrounded by boreal forest, this northern mining community is known for its harsh winters - with temperatures falling so low that automobile and aircraft engine manufacturers test their products there in some of the world's most extreme weather conditions. It's the most northern Canadian city connected by road in the region, where civilization ends and an untamed wilderness begins.

Arriving in Thompson, it's clear that the people who live here have tremendous respect and appreciation for wolves. Streets and a walking path called the "Spirit Way" are lined with statues of wolves painted by local artists, a 10-story apartment building proudly overlooks the city, sporting a massive lighted mural of a wolf, and the city's mascot is a spirited gray wolf named "Timber."

Despite Manitoba laws that allow for the hunting of wolves from August to March, a flourishing wolf population surrounds the city. Sightings of wolves are common, and few of the people I spoke with could understand why anyone would want to hunt these magnificent animals. On a popular local website, Thompson residents and tourists post photos and videos of their wolf sightings. This community lives up to its claim of being the "Wolf Capital of the World."

But what makes Thompson so different from other wolf-rich environs? The remoteness of the region and its harsh living conditions undoubtably prevent wolf-human conflict that commonly results from livestock and human population densities.

But credit also needs to be given to a local organization, Spirit Way, which has raised more than $1.5 million to promote ecotourism and cultural heritage in Thompson. Its work appears to be changing local attitudes toward wolves by teaching people to value the wolf as an important natural resource.

Thompson's celebration of the wolf is an excellent example of the environmental and economic success that can be achieved when we work to enrich public attitudes toward wolves through education. While local culture and remoteness give this community an advantage, its success has been fueled by committed volunteers and community leaders who teach respect and understanding of the important role wolves play in a balanced environment.

Rob Schultz is executive director of the International Wolf Center, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that advances the survival of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their relationship to wild lands and the human role in their future. To learn more about the wolves and the Center's work, visit www.wolf.org