David Daley of Wapusk Adventures had the concept for the HUDSON BAY QUEST, and with the support of a small group of Churchill dog mushers the first Hudson Bay Quest was run in 2004.
The intent of the Hudson Bay Quest has always been to revive dog sledding as a sport and tradition of the north. The Committee is made up of volunteers, who help organize and officiate the race.
For years, it brought together teams from Churchill, Nunavut and the rest of North America in a traditional freighting style sled race. The Hudson Bay Quest now embarks on a new era to celebrate northern Manitoba trapper culture, running from Gillam, Manitoba to Churchill, Manitoba. It is a trek through boreal forest and barren tundra that will prove a test for any racer.
The Quest will then follow a route along the Hudson Bay rail line and Wapusk National Park, 220 miles to Churchill. Designed as a self-sufficient dog sledding adventure, racers carry their own supplies and dog food for the duration of this northern dog sled race.
It is a traditional race built on the history of the fur trade, the Hudson’s Bay Company and the early days of Churchill, Manitoba. It harkens back to a time when ‘There ain’t no law of God nor man goes north of 53°’ was a common saying.
