The 2020 Ladysmith Polar Bear swim was one of the largest in recent years. 115 participants registered for a dip in the ice-cold waters of Transfer beach, with about 100 more people on the beach who were not swimmers.
Brandon Gonzales and his family have been organizing the Polar Bear swim for five years. He said the motivation to organize the event is seeing the positive impact it has on the community.
“Just getting people down to Transfer Beach, enjoying being together in this beautiful place we have is a big part of it,” Gonzales said.
The event was sponsored by 49th Parallel Grocer, Oceanview Community Church, and Ladysmith Search and Rescue.
Gonzales said the turnout is dependent on the weather. In past years, the weather has been far colder, however the first day of 2020 was a gorgeous, blue sky day with temperatures around 10 degrees celsius.