The Polar Rover is a popular mode of transportation in northern Manitoba. The vehicle is custom built for rough terrain travel and provides passenger comfort while viewing polar bears in their natural habitat on the tundra. Developed by Don Walkoski — owner and founder of Great White Bear Tour, Inc based in Churchill — Polar Rovers are heated, wheelchair accessible, and have washrooms with flush toilets, reclining seats and windows that open. The vehicles also have outdoor grated see-through decks so passengers can watch polar bears safely. The Polar Rover can carry up to 40 passengers at a time.

These vehicles are custom designed to deal with the particular ground conditions of the low arctic tundra such as large rocks, ruts and water, and temperatures below -20 degrees Celsius. Large tires on the Polar Rovers minimize damage to the arctic landscape.

A Polar Rover will pick up the torchbearer and the Olympic Torch at the corner of Bernier Street and Laverandrye Avenue, and then follow the Hudson Bay shoreline before the torchbearer passes the flame to the next torchbearer.

Did You Know?

The Polar Rover wasn’t initially developed to offer polar bear tours. Years ago, Don Walkoski built a four-wheel-drive Chevy van to be used as a family-oriented off-road picnic vehicle. Fate intervened when photographer Norbert Rosing was in town and noticed the vehicle. He requested using it to photograph polar bears, Walkoski then went on to build what would become Polar Rovers.