The Bon Soo Polar Bear Swim is on the move

For the first time in recent memory, the OLG Polar Bear Swim event at Bon Soo will not be scheduled to be held at Bellevue Park, but outside the Machine Shop instead.

The announcement was made today by Bon Soo manager Kerri De Poli at a media event at the OLG Casino.

The OLG Polar Bear Swim itself will still be held outdoors — but in a large water tank at the Bon Soo Winter Playground site instead of on the shore of the St. Marys River.

Registration has been moved indoors at the Machine Shop, which is where many of the Bon Soo events are going to be held this year.

"Our polar bears will be able to register inside, get changed inside and warm up much more quickly inside," said De Poli.

In the last ten years, De Poli said, the Polar Bear Swim has twice been cancelled and of the eight remaining years, the public was not allowed on the ice as spectators due to ice conditions.

"This is much more reliable," said De Poli.

As an added bonus, the adjacent Machine Shop will offer polar bears and spectators added creature comforts.

New this year, Bon Soo has partnered with SooToday to offer a live video stream of the Polar Bear Swim, which will be available to view online and also projected on a large screen inside the Machine Shop.

De Poli said the festival organizers are still trying to educate the public about this year's move to the Machine Shop, located at the former St. Mary's Paper site.

"We are so excited to be at the Machine Shop and that our guests have indoor access — they have indoor canteen services, a place to warm up, indoor restroom. These are all very exciting things," said De Poli.

Buttons for Bon Soo, which allow access to many of the events, are now on sale at all local Mac's Convenience locations, the two local Scotiabank branches, as well as at other retailers.