Churchill Falls

Churchill Falls in Labrador is one of the last company towns in Atlantic Canada. Its population of nearly 700 (2016) work for the Churchill Dam, a 5.4-gigawatt hydroelectric generating station, the third-largest hydroelectric station (by power output) in North America.

Churchill Falls provides several services to travellers on Route 500 (Trans-Labrador Highway). The main attractions of Churchill Falls are:
 * its snowmobile trails, which surround the village and provide access to the backcountry;
 * its nautical activities (eg canoeing, kayaking) on the Churchill Reservoir or on bodies of water or watercourses in the region;
 * its sports and leisure facilities: arena, skating rink, swimming pool, community centres, picnic area, Blackberry Lake beach, auditorium, library, gymnasium, etc.;
 * its immense territory in the hinterland, allowing hunting (caribou) and sport fishing, or nature observation (flora, fauna and landforms);
 * observation in a night sky (without light pollution) of the aurora borealis and stars (including large moving satellites);
 * its hydroelectric plant allowing educational guided tours;
 * its magnificent hiking trail offering bucolic views of boreal nature;
 * its practice area for mountain biking.

Understand
Installed about 300 m (nearly 1000 feet) underground, the eleven-turbine power station cost nearly a billion dollars and took thousands of workers five years to construct. The first power flowed from Churchill Falls on December 6, 1971.

An interprovincial agreement on the development of the Churchill Falls generating station was concluded in 1968 between Quebec and Newfoundland. This agreement set the rates for hydroelectric power from Upper Churchill until 2041. At the time, the only way to transport hydroelectric power from Labrador to North American markets was through Quebec. In 1996, the project brought in $1.4 million/day for Hydro-Québec but only $45,000/day for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The hydroelectric generating station is the ninth-largest in the world and the second-largest to be constructed underground (the main station on the LaGrande River at James Bay is the largest). Much of its power is exported from Québec to the US Northeast.

By car
Access is by the paved Highway 500 (Trans-Labrador Highway) between Labrador City (243 km to the west) and Happy Valley-Goose Bay (288 km to the east).



By plane
There is a tiny local airport, owned by the operators of the generating station; Provincial Airlines flies to Goose Bay and Wabush.

Get around
There is no public transport. The hotel operates a shuttle to the airport, which is 7.5km from the town.

See

 * See a variety of wildlife, including black bears, caribou and beavers

Do

 * Sport fishing. The large, enclosed freshwater reservoirs created by the dam are populated by several species of fish, including lake trout, brook trout (speckled trout) and northern pike.



Buy
There are few services other than a hotel, restaurant, supermarket and fuel station; there is no automotive repair garage.



Drink
The small fuel station has a wide variety of liquor and beers.

Sleep


There are no organized campsites or RV sites at Churchill Falls. However, an RV dump station is available to travellers.

Connect
Bell provides WCDMA (HSPA+) coverage in the town. Head out onto the Trans-Labrador Highway and the signal dies after the first few kilometres. As of 2021, there are no other cell phone providers in Churchill Falls. Visitors can rent satellite phone services along Routes 500 and 510 (Trans Labrador Highway).

Stay safe
Black bear sightings are common in the Churchill Falls area, particularly in the summer and fall. Walkers should use bells or whistles to ward off wildlife. At all times, it is essential to respect wild animals and their environment.