The town of Churchill has been hit hard by the national VIA rail strike. The small community relies on rail transportation like many other communities rely on buses or taxis.

Churchill is also heavily reliant on the town's tourism dollars. One of the big draws to the area is Beluga whale watching and unfortunately for whale tour operators the rail strike is taking place in the midst of high season.

According to Churchill Mayor Michael Spence cutting service has slashed tourism numbers by 40%.

"I don't think place like Winnipeg and Southern Manitoba really understand how affected we are," he said.

"The only thing I can use to compare is to close all major arteries into Winnipeg and that's how you're affected."

Spence wants the government to declare VIA rail an essential service for his town.