Polar bear dip 2024: Hundreds of Canadians brave cold for new year ‘reboot’
Global News
Canadians plunged into frigid waters from coast to coast on Monday to ring in the new year as part of the annual polar bear dip tradition.
Hundreds across Canada are set to celebrate 2024 with a polar bear plunge Monday, maintaining a long-held tradition of braving the January cold for a swim to mark the new year.
Joanie McNally, from Sackville N.S., lost no time in kicking off this year’s polar dips when she ran into the frigid ocean water at Queensland Beach on Nova Scotia’s South Shore at 9 a.m. Monday morning. In doing so, she also fulfilled a long-standing personal goal.
“We’re always at this beach, but this is the first time (swimming) when it’s on the more frigid side,” she said moments before taking the plunge.
“It’s a bit of a challenge to start the new year on the right track.”
The temperature sat around -5 C as McNally and 11 other swimmers stripped off their winter jackets, mittens and hats and went off into the icy waves.
McNally’s husband and daughter, along with a handful of other spectators, cheered and hollered for the group as they ran from the frozen sand to the icy water.
Dave Morash, also from the Sackville area, said this is the coldest polar plunge he’s done in at least six years.
Morash and a small group of fellow high school teachers have been doing the plunge together since 2018, but he says this is the first time since then that the temperature has been below zero on New Years Day.
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