Manitoba Public Insurance’s road safety bear is one of more than 60 uniquely decorated polar bears featured along Winnipeg’s Broadway Avenue and in the downtown area as part of a special cancer awareness and fundraising initiative.

Our sponsored bear’s name, Sapputiwok, is an Inuit word that means “protects”. Sapputiwok sports a bright orange safety vest and flag in honour of the 70th anniversary of school safety patrols in Manitoba.

Winnipeg artist Richard Osen created Sapputiwok and also designed the form used to produce all of the bears that will be displayed until Oct. 22.