Hundreds of people across Canada celebrated the beginning New Year joyfully diving into the cold water of the lake and ocean, some for the first time.
Alejandra Lopez, visiting Nova Scotia from Mexico, said she likes to take an ice-water bath at home but has never done it. polar plunge.
“One of my resolutions was to do something new every month, and I started on the very first day (of 2026),” said Lopez, who was swimming outdoors Thursday in Dartmouth's frozen Lake Banuk along with hundreds of other people.
She said the swim was a lot of fun and a great way to start the new year. However, after entering the water, she said her “legs started to burn.” She remained calm and managed to stay in the water.
“I was so excited and so proud of us,” she said. She managed to convince her brother-in-law, Brian Summerhays of Dartmouth, North Carolina, to join her in the excitement.
“It was very, very cold. I don't know if I'll do it again, but I can check it off the bucket list,” Summerhays said with a laugh.
He said that as he plunged into the icy water, he thought to himself: “Breathe. Breathe. What am I doing here? Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.”
People react as they enter the ice-filled water of Lake Banuk during the annual Polar Bear Swim on New Year's Day in Dartmouth, North Carolina, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese.
People react as they enter the ice-filled water of Lake Banuk during the annual Polar Bear Swim on New Year's Day in Dartmouth, North Carolina, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese.
A man remains motionless in the ice-filled water of Lake Banuk during the annual Polar Bear Swim on New Year's Day in Dartmouth, North Carolina, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese.
Organizer Coco McNeil, part of the Darkside Dippers group which regularly runs polar plunges at Dartmouth, said 550 people had registered online to take part in Thursday's plunge. Even more people took to the beach to cheer on their loved ones and friends.
Organizers carved a large rectangle out of thick lake ice to create a pool that could accommodate dozens of buckets at once.
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Laurel Floyd from Ottawa was among the intrepid divers who also completed the ice dive for the first time.
She greeted them as she entered the icy lake with her daughter and son-in-law.
“It's wonderful. There's a great atmosphere, great camaraderie, all the people are shaking with excitement, coming in and screaming and having fun,” Floyd said, noting that she had very cold feet at first.
“We had to stand there (on the ice) and wait a little bit. But once you're inside, it's refreshing. Then there's a certain level of peace that really sets in,” she said.
In Toronto, hundreds of people gathered to plunge into the icy depths of Lake Ontario in support of Boost, an advocacy center for children and youth.
The crowd warmed up with a dance party, then took off their winter coats and ran straight into the water to the sound of screams and laughter.
Pardeep Singh Nagra (right) runs into the cold water while taking part in a New Year's polar bear swim at Sunnyside Beach in Toronto, Thursday, January 1, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sammy Kogan.
People take part in a New Year's polar bear swim at Sunnyside Beach in Toronto, Thursday, January 1, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sammy Kogan.
People dry off after taking part in a New Year's polar bear swim at Sunnyside Beach in Toronto, Thursday, January 1, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sammy Kogan.
People participate in the annual New Year's polar bear swim in Oakville, Ontario, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nick Ivanishin.
People participate in the annual New Year's polar bear swim in Oakville, Ontario, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nick Ivanishin.
Pardeep Singh Nagra, a dive participant, said the cold water dip was a “great way to start the new year.” Wearing boxing gloves and a championship belt, he said he dove into a fundraising team called BoxSingh.
“For me, it's just a day of cold, but for the young children and young people we support, their ordeal lasts longer than one day,” said Nagra, who has gone on polar plunges more than 15 times.
“It's a great turnout and that's what it's all about. You know people are ready to go out and make a difference for the youth in our community.”
Meanwhile, pals Laura Canas, Georgina Blanchard and Selina Whittaker held hands as they swam together for a cause. Kanas called the dive an “invigorating” way to start 2026. Fighting the cold together symbolizes their connection to each other, Blanchard added.
“A new beginning for the coming year is one of friendship and fun,” Blanchard said.
— With files from Rihanna Lim in Toronto.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
