Particle.news
Download on the App Store

New Year Polar Dips Draw Hundreds Across Canada as Montreal Club Seeks Winter Access Rules

Montreal dippers seek formal winter access after a borough closure.

Overview

  • Dartmouth’s Lake Banook event reported 550 online registrations, with organizers cutting a large ice pool to cycle dozens of participants through safely.
  • Toronto participants plunged into Lake Ontario to raise funds for Boost, a child and youth advocacy centre, alongside lively onshore support.
  • Photos and reports documented New Year’s Day plunges in multiple cities, including Oakville, underscoring the tradition’s wide appeal.
  • Verdun borough in Montreal reiterated on Dec. 16 that its beach is closed for winter, warning of hidden under-ice hazards and hypothermia risk.
  • Montreal’s Polar Bear Club launched a petition with more than 180 signatures seeking meetings to formalize winter dipping rules, with city responses pending after the holidays.