Staff Profile

Ron Bauder
Ron was born in Swan River, MB.  He moved with his family to Churchill in 1968 - 1974.  Ron always enjoyed the outdoors so when he had a chance to go back to Churchill he went to work for Merv's Excavating.  Ron met his future wife Lois shortly after he moved there.  Whenever he has a chance, he loves to hunt, fish and camp with his family.

Michelle Beaton
Michelle has lived in Churchill since the age of 2. She loves being outdoors and every season that comes with it. Churchill has given Michelle many different opportunities throughout her life such as working for Parks Canada, at York Factory and even loading grain ships.  She is looking forward to her new adventure as a bus driver for Great White Bear.

Tim Cameron
Tim is a retired Manitoba Conservation Officer of 35yrs. He has worked in most areas of the provinces first Conservation K9 handler working the program for 15yrs. In retirement he and his wife Jean ran a seasonal greenhouse in Ashern, MB. Tim enjoys travelling in Central America, playing guitar and spending time with his six grandchildren. He has always loved the north...the flora, fauna and the people.

Lindsay Hurst
Moving from Toronto to Churchill for a summer job in 2010, Lindsay quickly decided the North would be her new home.  She fell in love with the beauty and freedom of Churchill.  As an avid outdoors enthusiast, you will find her hiking across the frozen Churchill River or quadding along the rocky shores of the Hudson Bay.  Lindsay is a Beluga Whale tour guide in the summer, and a bus driver for Great White Bear Tours in the fall for six seasons.

Val Kelly
Val has been with our company since 2002.  Val lived in Churchill with her family when she was young and she now resides in North Bay, Ontario.  Val was also bitten by the Polar Bear bug and she like our other drivers looks forward to the annual migration to Churchill to watch the majestic animals.  Val’s positive outlook on life is infectious and she truly enjoys meeting new people and traveling.

Doug Lofto
Doug is a retired police officer from the Winnipeg Police Service. During his time with the Winnipeg Police Service, Doug was involved on numerous occasions with the Police and Pal Wilderness Canoe trips in northeast Manitoba. Following his retirement, he accepted a position with Manitoba Hydro at the Keeyask Dam in Gillam, Manitoba. Doug has been married for 36 years and has two adult children. He and his family enjoy spending time at the cottage on Lee River.

Robert McDonald
Robert is a born and raised Churchillian. He has been involved in the tourism industry for the last 30yrs. Robert is married with 5 children and has been a dog musher with his family since childhood.

Bill McPherson
Ol' Bill is a retired teacher who taught in Churchill for 5 years.  It was during this time that his love for the polar bear and photography grew.  He has been with the company since 2004 but not consider his work a job but considers it a privilege to drive on the tundra among the bears and other wildlife every day.

Louella McPherson
Louella has been married to Bill for 43 years. She is a retired teacher who taught in Churchill for 5 years.  She has been with the company since 2004.  She wears many hats when working.  You can find her at the Gift Boutique every morning.  When she leaves there, she continues running around town and puts together fabulous meals for the staff.  Every year she says it's like returning home and can't wait to see her first bear.

Chris Skinner
Originally from Ontario, Chris moved to Invermere, BC in the mid 90's and never looked back.  Since he was a little boy Chris always had a sense of adventure.  From skateboarding, to snowboarding, and then onto climbing, hiking and ski touring there never seemed to be enough excitement.  The Churchill experience is the next step in fulfilling the dream of experiencing everything life has to offer.

Lawrence Spence
Lawrence is born and raised in Churchill.  He has worked with the Hudson Bay Port and The Hudson Bay Railway.  Lawrence has been worked for Great White Bear Tours since 2017 and has been enjoying meeting the new clients ever since.

Kyle Walkoski
We welcome Kyle back to Churchill as our President.  Kyle has resigned from his position as a Manitoba conservation officer after working throughout the province for the past 9 years.  He is looking forward to raising his children in the town where he grew up and being a part of the family business.  His conservation background and knowledge about the community will be a great asset for Great White Bear Tours Inc.

Krzysztof Walczak       
Krzysztof (Krys) is our lodge manager, and he spends 6 weeks aboard our Tundra Lodge during the bear season. He was born and raised in Poland but has called Canada home for the past 27 years. Krys enjoys meeting new people and puts people at ease with his easy-going personality and sense of humour. He is working on his photography skills so that he can capture the beauty of the landscape and wildlife he sees while out on the tundra.

Bob Whitney
Bob has spent his life in Montreal, Toronto and Winnipeg. He retired from the retail industry 11 years ago. He has been involved in many sports as a player and as a coach and is now an avid golfer. This next adventure driving a bus in Churchill is going to be an exciting and informative adventure.