Churchill Shoal

Off the mouth of the Churchill River, shallow water extends into the southwestern reaches of Hudson Bay. Beluga whales gather in the river's estuary during the summer, their white backs visible in the channels near the shore. The river also brought people from the interior to the bay, where Cree, Dene and Inuit hunters traded with the Hudson's Bay Company.

In 1717 James Knight established a company post on the river. The company later began a stone fort nearer the coast, known as Prince of Wales Fort, to protect its trade. French ships under La Pérouse captured the fort in 1782; the following year the company rebuilt its post farther up the river. Ships bound for Churchill had to find their way through the shallow coastal waters before reaching the river mouth.