An organization dedicated to polar bear and sea ice conservation is getting a $1-million donation to build a new facility in Churchill, Manitoba.

Polar Bear International kicked off a $2-million campaign at a Polar Bear Affair fundraising gala in Toronto last night with the announcement of a $1-million gift from the Reiss Family Foundation. Dani Reiss, president and CEO of Canada Goose, joined the PBI board of directors in 2007 and was chairman from 2008 to last year.

The campaign and donation will support the building of Polar Bear International House, which PBI says will be "energy-efficient, ecologically sound, and multi-purpose in design and scope." The facility is to be built on Churchill's main street, on donated land, with construction set to start at the beginning of this year's fall polar bear season.

The facility will provide education to visitors, support polar bear research and outreach efforts, host scientists, educators, and other special guests, and serve as a gathering place.

PBI's executive director Krista Wright says in a news release it's the largest single donation the organization has ever received.