Cochrane, Ontario may be small but it has a lot to offer, especially if you love the colder months. Located an hour outside of Timmins in northern Ontario, you’ll find gems such as a real-life polar bear habitat that is the only of its kind in the world. If the name Cochrane sounds familiar to you, you may be thinking of the town in Alberta with the same name. While the two spots have a few similarities, they have their own sets of qualities and attractions that make them one-of-a-kind.

The Cochrane, Ontario Polar Bear Habitat

“The Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat, located in Cochrane, Ontario is the only facility in the world dedicated purely to the care of polar bears,” shares the habitat’s website. The spot is home to the southernmost population of polar bears and spans 24 acres of natural, sub-arctic terrain and boreal forest for the bears to roam.

Currently, three polar bears are living in the habitat named Ganuk, Henry and Inukshuk. Inukshuk is the oldest of the three at 21 years old and is the father of 14-year-old Ganuk.

Those who want to see the polar bears in person can visit any day of the week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. but according to the habitat, they recommend coming as early in the day as possible as that is when the bears are most active. Admission costs $17.60 per adult or $13.20 for children between the ages of five and 18. Anyone younger than five can get it for free.

There are pathways and buildings throughout the grounds, all of which are wheelchair and stroller accessible. If you can’t make it for a trip to see the bears in person, there are live camera feeds available to check out.

Cochrane, Ontario vs. Cochrane, Alberta

Far apart in distance but exactly the same in name. The towns are located 2,789 km apart, which would take you around 29 hours by car. While they’re situated on opposite sides of Canada, the spots do have one thing in common, they both get very cold. The average annual temperature in Cochrane, Ontario is around 2 °C while the average for Cochrane, Alberta is 2.7 °C – pretty close.

From there, the two boast their own points of interest that make them stand out. The Alberta counterpart is considered a gateway to the Canadian Rockies and as you drive through the town, you can take in stunning views of the mountains. Right in town you’ll find a little slice of history, the Rocky View Hotel. Built in 1904, this spot is considered a local favourite and is the oldest operational hotel in Western Canada.

When it comes the Ontario Cochrane, there may be no mountains or historic hotels, but there is a museum dedicated to a Canadian hero – Tim Horton. Yep, Tim Horton is from the area and the museum details the life of the Canadian from his time in the NHL to the creation of the donut and coffee shop every canuck would soon grow up to love. Found inside the Tim Horton Events Centre, you can see “photographs, books, jerseys, and 568 hockey pucks representing the number of regular season and playoff points the hockey great scored while playing in the NHL.”

A town named Cochrane awaits you, no matter which side of the country you’re on.

Recent Posts:
This charming historic village in Ontario is like being in a Hallmark movie IRL
Here’s where to go night skiing in Ontario this season

Taylor Lucas

Associate Editor – Taylor is a Toronto-based journalist with a passion for storytelling. Whether chasing a story, writing, or editing, she brings a creative spin to the media world and has a blast doing it. Taylor brings years of journalism experience in sports, local/national news, and entertainment. In her spare time, you can typically find Taylor trying out a new restaurant or cocktail bar, cooking, golfing or binge-watching true crime documentaries.

Read articles