On New Year’s Eve morning in Montreal, Mark Nikiforov sawed a hole into the thick sheet of ice capping the St. Lawrence River, preparing to plunge inside.
With temperatures hovering around -13 C — feeling colder than -20 with the wind chill — Nikiforov and about a dozen others stripped down to bathing suits, tuques and gloves, and lowered themselves into the water.
“The more you actually do it, the less cold you will feel,” said Nikiforov, who wore a large furry hat and went into the water last, after supervising the first-timers.
“For me personally, it’s also something to do in the winter season that helps to withstand [the cold], to feel better.”
Polar plunges have become a weekly tradition for him and other members of Montreal’s Polar Bear Club. However, members say they are worried they’re being barred winter access to the popular beach in the Verdun borough where they’ve held their dips for the last seven years.
Nikiforov says Verdun Beach is the safest place for plunges because the current is slower than other spots along the shoreline and there’s a sandy bottom with a gradual descent.
But the Verdun borough recently issued a notice reminding citizens that the beach is closed for swimming in the winter, and encouraged people to report infractions to police.
“The river in winter, it’s a no!” read the Dec. 16 post on the borough’s Facebook page, noting that the current below the ice’s surface can create invisible holes, and that immersion in cold water can lead to hypothermia.
“We remind you that the beach is closed for the winter season, without supervision, and that swimming is strictly prohibited,” the post read.
The Polar Bear Club has started a petition asking the city and borough to meet with them to discuss a set of rules to formalize access for plunges, with over 180 signatures as of Wednesday. Nikiforov says the group isn’t asking for funding, and its members are willing to discuss adding safety measures such as more equipment, or to receive CPR training.
WATCH | New rules forcing cold plunge club to relocate:
Montreal cold plungers long to regain access to Verdun Beach
For the last seven years, Montreal’s Polar Bear Club has been diving into the new year at Verdun Beach – until now. New rules imposed by the borough have forced the club to relocate, but its members are hoping it reconsiders so they can return to their old plunging grounds.
Setting the stage for the new year
Nikiforov said a beach ban won’t stop people from plunging. Instead, he worries they’ll just do it in other places that are less safe, and with fewer people watching.
“By prohibiting access, it’s not making it any safer,” he said, noting that there haven’t been any accidents or incidents since the club started.
The Verdun borough and the City of Montreal did not respond to a request for comment, indicating that media questions would be answered only after the holidays.
The people who showed up for a river dip on Wednesday insisted that jumping into cold water brings them physical and mental benefits, and is even fun.
As Christmas music floated from a speaker, they stood on yoga mats as they removed their clothes, and did a few jumping jacks to warm up. Then, wearing hats and gloves, they slid into the water — just outside the official Verdun Beach area — with some letting out cheers, and others closing their eyes and appearing to meditate.
WATCH | Experts say even strong swimmers can be caught off guard by sudden currents:
What makes the St. Lawrence River so dangerous for swimmers?
It’s an important waterway in North America, but conditions in the St. Lawrence River can change rapidly and its size and force makes rescues complicated and dangerous for emergency responders.
Claudine Turnbull said a New Year’s plunge has become a bit of a tradition, and a reminder to herself that “we can do hard things.”
“Be uncomfortable for a few minutes, and then that sets the stage for the rest of the year,” she said.
After spending a couple minutes in the icy water, she proclaimed herself “invigorated.”
“That was amazing, really good,” she said. “I’m cold, my feet are in pain a bit, but not so bad. Happy New Year!”
‘Very real risk of hypothermia’
However, extreme cold comes with significant risks, according to Dr. Christopher Labos, a cardiologist and epidemiologist from Montreal.
He said cold plunges are far more dangerous than many people realize. Swimming in open water unsupervised, regardless of temperature, is already dangerous, he explained.
“Now you factor in the cold weather, apart from the risk of drowning, you have the very real risk of hypothermia,” Labos said.
“If you’ve trained for this your whole life and it’s something that you do regularly, maybe your body is going to be well adapted to it. But otherwise, the sudden shock of cold temperature, it’s going to be a lot for people, especially for people who have pre-existing heart disease or other medical conditions.”
The sudden constriction of the blood vessels and drop in temperature is enough to trigger a heart attack or make it harder to swim — increasing the risk of drowning, he said.
But, for some, it’s worth the risk. Ben Kamino said he’d done one plunge before, but never when the wind chill was below -20. He decided to join the group after trying to do a dip on his own and finding the ice too thick to saw through.
For him, a New Year’s plunge is rife with symbolism.
“It’s the last swim of the year,” he said. “Kind of washing last year away, starting a New Year fresh, renewed.”
