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Seeing polar bears in the wild may be a priceless experience, but the logistics and costs for transportation to remote areas such as Ukkusiksalik, just below the Arctic Circle, are prohibitive for most. Accessing Canada's newest national park can run upwards of $50,000 for 12 people — and that may just cover the airplane.

Boris Kotelewetz, business manager of Sila Lodge, the park's sole accommodation, says there are short windows during the year when visitors can ride snow machines into the area. However, the journey is about 700 kilometres round trip, and travellers must be prepared for a frigid ride. Boats are another option, but the mouth of Wager Bay is typically a bottleneck for ice sheets. The lodge is the only recommended jumping-off point because of the polar bear threat elsewhere in the park.

Flying into Ukkusiksalik can be hit-and-miss, depending on the weather, says Kotelewetz, yet it is the most reliable mode of transportation. He usually charters a Twin Otter, the workhorse of the North, which can take off and land within short distances on large tires, a necessity on makeshift runways.