Tundra Buggy to go electric

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This article was published 26/01/2021 (1387 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

An iconic Churchill Tundra Buggy will undergo an eco-friendly makeover.

Frontiers North Adventures will be given $149,000 to convert the buggy to electric power from diesel.

On Tuesday, the Manitoba government announced it would give eight groups a total of $600,000 in new grants under the conservation and climate fund.

“This first EV Tundra Buggy will help to reduce our carbon footprint while relying on 100 per cent renewable energy generated right here in Manitoba. I can’t wait to deliver guests a silent touring experience among Manitoba’s wild polar bears and under our amazing northern lights,” said John Gunter, president and CEO of Frontiers North Adventures, which owns and operates Tundra Buggy vehicles for polar bear tours.

Other groups to receive funding include:

• Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources ($100,000) for a project on nutrient reduction in the Lake Winnipeg basin;
• Winnipeg Trails Association ($138,000), which matches bicycles to the needs of newcomer/refugee communities, Indigenous communities;
• Manitoba Building Trades Institute ($78,000) for an aquaponics greenhouse training facility to teach sustainable food production;
• Ducks Unlimited Canada ($65,000) to support a project involving climate adaptation contributions of wetlands in livestock production grasslands;
• Bike Winnipeg ($37,000) for a bike-share project;
• Winnipeg Repair Education and Cycling Hub ($29,000) for Project CleanCycle, which will reclaim bicycle parts from the waste stream while providing education to youth and affordable active transportation options. 

“We have taken an important step in moving the (fund) to a competitive intake process and a merit-based approach that delivers projects offering value for money and green economic opportunities,” Conservation and Climate Minister Sarah Guillemard said.