Assiniboine Park Zoo names the two new polar bear cubs

How appropriate that, on a day with extreme cold and blizzard warnings, two polar bears have received their names.

Assiniboine Park Zoo had asked you to vote online to name the two new polar bears that were sent from Churchill. The results were tallied on Monday, and the names have been unveiled.

The female polar bear will be named Nanuq, the Inuit word for polar bear.

The male will be named Siku, the Inuit word for ice.

"We are so pleased with how many people voted for their favourite cub names," Curator of Animal Care and Behavioural Husbandry Johanna Soto said in a release. "These cubs serve as ambassadors for polar bears living in the north whose habitat is threatened due to climate change. Involving the community in the naming process helps form that connection to the bears and inspire people to take positive action in their own lives to combat climate change."

The cubs can be found at the Leatherdale International Polar Bear Conservation Centre at the Assiniboine Park Zoo. While you are there, you can check out a variety of indoor venues including the Gateway to the Arctic Building, the Tundra Grill and Polar Playground, Toucan Ridge, and the Kinsmen Discovery Centre.

You won't be able to go see them today, but Laura Curtis, Manager of Marketing and Communications, is reminding everyone that warmer temperatures are in this weekend's forecast. "With the new cubs, the northern species in Journey to Churchill, Keeper Talks, and some milder weather, we are looking forward to a busy weekend at the Zoo."