Thousands take part in polar bear swims in British Columbia

Thousands braved freezing waters on New Year’s Day to take part in Swimming with the polar beararound British Columbia

The crowd for the plunge at White Rock, which celebrated its 55th anniversary this year, was estimated at 2,000 to 3,000 people.

“We’re really happy it’s not raining,” Melanie Smith of the White Rock Polar Bear Plunge told Global News. “When it rains, we obviously have a lot fewer people going out, which is disappointing…

“But no, today I think it’s about five degrees. The water is seven and a half degrees. So it’s warmer in the water, guys.

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Thousands gather for record participation in annual Vancouver Polar Bear Swim

Other cities hosting Polar Bear Swims included Vancouver, Port Moody, Kelowna and Prince Rupert.

The first polar bear swim in Vancouver took place in 1976 and 641 people registered for the event.

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South Fraser residents take part in annual polar bear swim

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