Mike Boychuk

Trick-or-treaters on Hudson Bay get helicopter escort, polar bear patrol
Provided by: The Canadian Press, .
By The Canadian Press

CHURCHILL, Man. - Most trick-or-treaters are well-versed in Halloween safety: travel in groups, wear colourful clothing and only stop at brightly lit homes.

But kids in Churchill, Man., need to keep in mind they have more to worry about than ghouls and goblins. Halloween is a time when polar bears are wandering around the northern community as they wait for cooler temperatures before heading out onto the frozen winter ice.

Thirty conservation, Parks Canada and RCMP officers encircle the town to make it safe for youngsters to go door to door.

Any bears are shooed away using horns, rubber bullets and cracker shells.