NANAIMO — Missed out on the recent Nanaimo Boxing Day polar bear swim and want to ring in the new year with a chilly plunge?
You’re in luck.
A pair of formal polar bear swim events are happening on Wednesday, Jan. 1 in Parksville and Lantzville, while several other informal chilly dips are anticipated throughout the region.
Parksville
The Regional District of Nanaimo hosts a well-attended annual Polar Bear Splash at Parksville Community Park.
Onsite registration opens at 11: 30 a.m., followed by an icy swim at noon at Parksville Beach.
The Parksville event, a tradition since 1990, typically draws a few hundred participants.
Lantzville
The annual Lantzville Polar Bear Swim takes place New Years Day at noon at the beach off the end of Harper Rd.
On boxing day, hundreds of people participated in the annual Frank Ney Memorial Polar Bear Swim at Departure Bay Beach.
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