Doesn't taking a swim in Lake Ontario at near freezing temperatures sound relaxing?
What a way to begin the new year!
Oakville's annual New Years Day Polar Bear Dip took place at Coronation Park earlier this week, on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, and saw thousands of people come out to raise money for a good cause.
The event partnered with global relief organization World Vision Canada (as they have been doing for the last 30 years) and passed their goal of $100,000 raised to help provide clean water for the people of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Several dippers described the experience as "exhilarating and frigid" as they entered a Lake Ontario that was close to 3°C.
The origin of the dip began in 1986 when brothers Todd and Trent Courage jumped into Lake Ontario on New Years Day were dared by their mother Gaye, because both boys were not feeling great on the morning of Jan. 1 (which they say is likely due to the festivities that took place the night before.)
Their mother suggested they jump in the lake to wake themselves up and it helped. Todd and Trent's jump into Lake Ontario turned into a yearly occurrence and began to grow their famous dip every year since then.
The Polar Bear Dip has now become a yearly Oakville tradition, and a major one for the Courage family: it's the 40th year they've been doing this frigid swim.
"It's something I have done almost my entire life," said Todd Courage's daughter Jenna. "It's something that my family and I have grown up doing so to me this shows community and family and having everybody come together."
10 years after the Dip began, the Courage brothers partnered with World Visions Canada to help raise money for a great cause.
All money raised by the Polar Bear Dip since the partnership goes straight to World Visions Canada and they use it to help provide clean water to country's that need it.