A Lifetime Behind the Lens — From National Photojournalism to Polar Bears
About Johnny
Hi, I’m Johnny Hayward — photographer, polar bear guide, and founder of Bear Witness Photo Tours in Churchill, Manitoba.
My first trip to Churchill in 1999 sparked a lifelong connection to the North, its wildlife, and the incredible experience of polar bear season. What began as a photography assignment became a passion for ethical wildlife guiding and Arctic storytelling.
Today, I lead small-group, ground-based polar bear tours focused on patience, respect, and meaningful wildlife encounters. With a maximum of just three guests per vehicle, Bear Witness Photo offers a business-class experience designed for photographers, wildlife enthusiasts, and travelers looking for a deeper connection to Churchill and the Arctic.
Before launching Bear Witness Photo, I spent 28 years as a national staff photographer with The Canadian Press, covering major news, sports, and historic events across Canada and around the world. That experience shaped my approach to guiding and photography — patient, observant, and focused on authentic moments.
When I’m not in Churchill, I continue photographing wildlife and watersports while living in North Vancouver with my wife, daughter, and our two dogs, Kiwi and Harley.
Join me in the North and experience Churchill through the lens of Bear Witness Photo.
Nature has stories to tell.
Tales of love and loss.
Tales of belonging and individuality.
Tales of whimsey and badassery.
I'm here to capture them all.
Work With Me
If you are a hospitality or design professional who would like to learn about my wholesale and volume purchase solutions for your next project, I’d love to hear from you.
You can hire me to photograph your personal project which extents far beyond wildlife photography. I have been a nationally and internationally celebrated news and sports photographer for over a quarter century. If you have a news or sporting event that you would like covered please reach out.
If you are interested in licensing my work to be featured in a publication or on a product, contact me to inquire about images available for editorial and licensing sales.
Many photographers can take a pretty picture, but few can capture an entire story in one frame.
“When choosing art for my client projects I look for beautifully composed statement pieces that add soul to a room and I seek to partner with a passionate artist whose work embodies something special that resonates. Johnny Hayward and his compelling wildlife photography meet all of those criteria.”
— Lori Steeves, Creative Director, Simply Home Decorating, North Vancouver, British Columbia
“Johnny beautifully captures touching and powerful photographs of polar bears highlighting the urgency to protect these majestic creatures and their diminishing natural habitats. I purchased two spectacular photos for my sister who is an ecologist and she adores them.”
— Veronica Delgiudice, North Vancouver, British Columbia
“Every image from Johnny Hayward’s polar bear collection takes my breath away, but when I saw this image of a momma bear and her two cubs, I knew it was meant for my mom...The composition and colour are simply spectacular, but ultimately it was the strong image of the momma bear guiding her cubs through the expansive landscape that resonated with my sister and I. Our mom is our guide and strength, and she knew immediately when she opened it on Christmas morning what it symbolized.”
— Tiffany Edgecombe, Edmonton, Alberta
"The photo of the Zen bear is so realistic and printed so well its more like a fine piece of art. Everything I have in my home has some kind of personal attachment so I was honoured to purchase it from Johnny who had done some video work for me at the US Masters water ski tournament. The photo arrived perfectly packaged and in a timely fashion. The Zen bear has been placed above my bed to give off similar vibes."
- George Athans, 3 time World Water Ski Champion, Member of the Order of Canada (Dec. 2022)
"Jonathan started as a freelance photographer for CP in Ottawa in 1997. For the next decade he covered a host of major events including international travel with the prime minister and coverage of the return of the unknown soldier. In 2007, he joined CP as a full-time staff photographer, moving to Vancouver as part of the preparations for the 2010 Olympics. That Olympic Games is just one of several that Jonathan would go on to cover for CP, along with multiple World Cup sports events, Grey Cups, Stanley Cup finals, not to mention numerous NHL and regular season sports. His travels have taken him to the White House, Athens to follow the Olympic torch, and on royal tours throughout Canada. His coverage from Canada’s high arctic featured unprecedented images of northern wildlife. Jonathan is also a true multimedia journalist, starting to shoot video for CP when we began that service in 2006. He has always captured strong video footage along with incredible still photographs."
"Throughout his career, he has covered several federal and provincial election campaigns. He has extensively documented the issues in Vancouver’s downtown eastside, including a beautiful series of black-and-white portraits of community members in 2013, the homeless situation in the city and the drug overdose crisis. His work on the overdose situation led to an opportunity to shadow B.C. Ambulance workers in 2021 as they responded to 42 overdose calls in the city in a single day. Jonathan has also been on the frontlines for some of the most significant natural disasters in western Canada. He covered the wildfires in Fort McMurray in 2016, several seasons of wildfires across B.C., and the destruction caused by the 2021 flooding throughout the province. He was one of the few to secure aerial photographs of the massive infrastructure damage that year. In 2018, Jonathan was at the scene of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in rural Saskatchewan. He was the only one to gather aerial photos of the crash site. In addition to haunting documentation of the crash itself, Jonathan captured many of the moving images from tributes and memorials in the days that followed."
"Jonathan’s Humboldt photos earned him the National Newspaper Awards for Breaking News and News Photo of the Year. These are just two of the numerous honours his work has earned, including multiple NNA wins, Sports Media Canada’s Outstanding Sports Photography award, several accolades from the News Photographers Association of Canada (NPAC), and the Canadian Association of Journalism’s Photojournalist of the Year prize. Jonathan was the lead photographer on the 2010 CP team NNA nomination for the “One Bomb” project, chronicling the painful aftermath of an explosion in Afghanistan that killed four soldiers and journalist Michelle Lang." Megan Leach, Director-CP News Photos, THE CANADIAN PRESS
2018 Awards
News Photographers Association of Canada (NPAC) Spot News Photograph of the Year.
Canadian Association of Journalism (CAJ) Outstanding Journalism, Daily Excellence.
National Newspaper Awards (NNA) winner Breaking News, Humboldt Broncos.
National Newspaper Awards (NNA) citation of merit for News Photo of the Year.
2016 Awards
News Photographers Association of Canada (NPAC), General News Photograph of the Year, 1st Place.
News Photographers Association of Canada (NPAC), Feature Photograph of the Year, 3rd Place.
2014 Awards
News Photographers Association of Canada (NPAC) Sports Action Picture of the Year.
Sports Media Canada, the George Gross Award for Outstanding Sports Photography.
News Photographers Association of Canada (NPAC), Feature Photograph of the Year, 3rd Place.
2013 Awards
Canadian Online Publishing Award nomination.
Canadian Association of Journalism (CAJ), Photojournalist of the Year for portfolio.
National Newspaper Awards (NNA) citation of merit for Sports Photo of the Year.
News Photographers Association of Canada (NPAC), Sports Action Photograph of the Year, 1st Place.
2012 & Previous Awards
-2012, News Photographers Association of Canada (NPAC), Multimedia Project of the Year, 2nd Place.
-2009, News Photographers Association of Canada (NPAC), Sports Feature Picture of the Year.
-2009, The Canadian Press Presidents Award, editorial employee of the year.
-1998, National Newspaper Awards (NNA), News Photo of the Year, citation of Merit.