Climate change, better atmosphere reason to move Polar Bear Swim: Bon Soo

A decision to move the Polar Bear Swim from Bellevue Park to The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre is a positive change that will offer people more options to celebrate the festivities, says a spokesperson for the 2023 Bon Soo Winter Carnival.

In 2017, the Bon Soo organizers faced a backlash after announcing the Polar Bear Swim would be held in the Canal District in a modified garbage skip.

This year’s decision to move the Feb. 11 event to the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre is different, said Josh Ingram, the city’s area coordinator for special events and sports tourism.

“I think this is a positive change for the better, as opposed to let’s shrink it down and put it in a garbage dumpster, or whatever it was,” said Ingram. “This has a lot of intersectionality behind it and we have a real chance to make it a bigger splash — pun intended — than it has been.”

Ingram said the atmosphere around the Polar Bear Swim has always been great, but the former location at Bellevue park left a lot to be desired for some.

“Without any criticism, the last time I took the dip you had to get in the back of a dirty cube van to get changed, parking was bad, you just had to take off and that was it. There was an atmosphere but that atmosphere was truncated based on the location,” he said.

For this year’s sixtieth anniversary of the festival, polar bear swimmers will be able to get ready at a warmed indoor changing station inside the venue while listening to live music by the Hustle Brothers, while enjoying warm chili or hot chocolate at the canteen.

Immediately after the swim there are two options, an ages 19-plus after party at the next door Northern Superior Tap Room or the Bon Voyage street party on Queen Street from East to Spring streets.

“The idea is how do you make this Saturday a real event and something you want to stay downtown for, for a couple of hours, as opposed to doing all that work waiting in line, jump in, jump out. It’s really making a festival atmosphere around that event,” said Ingram.

The change of venue also helps the festival to protect one of its premier events that at times has had to be cancelled last minute due to warm weather conditions making it unsafe for crowds to stand on the ice at Bellevue Park.

This year’s Polar Bear Swim will take place between the two docks directly adjacent to the hangar doors at the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre. Ingram said because of climate change, organizers are not relying on sub-zero temperatures for the event to go ahead this year.

“We are not going to be cutting a hole in the ice, it doesn’t look like, because the world is changing and we have to do everything we can to assist with that, but at the same time we can’t stop having fun,” said Ingram. “If things are crazy over the next 10, 15 days or whatever we will carve the ice, and if not you are still jumping into some freezing cold temperatures.”

Sault Search and Rescue has evaluated the area and will be on hand to ensure the event is carried out as safely as possible. A rope line will be set up

“All of the precautions we take with the normal dip are still being followed, just with some augmentations due to the fact it isn’t frozen over,” said Ingram.