BLAST FROM THE PAST Chilly Fest

Swimmers, Skaters and Sledders: For over a century, Townsite residents have made the most of the cold and snow.

BY JOËLLE SÉVIGNY

When thinking of the month most associated with winter and icy cold weather, January tends to be at the top of the list. Historically in Powell River, January often brought about the first snowfall of the year. Some typical snowy scenes around town were the never-ending snowball fights at Henderson School during recess, skiing on the golf course, and perhaps a few lucky days when Cranberry Lake was frozen enough for skating and hockey.

What doesn’t usually come to mind for most people when thinking of January, is to go for a refreshing swim in the ocean! Surely enough, that is exactly what was started at Vancouver’s English Bay in 1920; the Annual Polar Bear Swim on New Year’s Day.

Christmas Day swim in 1938.

Closely following Vancouver, the first ever recorded Polar Bear Swim in Powell River took place in 1938 when the Polar Bear Club as it was called then, (or sometimes referred to as “Shiver-up-a-Sweat” Club) bravely jumped into the Pacific Ocean at Hansen Beach. Members of the club were mostly young boys nicknamed the local polar bears and was originally composed of Tommy Urquhart (the President), David and Ivan Hansen, Gordon Fullerton, and Fred Gibson.

Snowball fights at Henderson School, 1945

Sometimes, the swim also took place on Christmas Day, but most years, the “de-hibernation of the hardy polars” (January 7, 1938 PRNews) began at 2:30pm sharp on January 1st. In the 1940s, the event started taking place at Willingdon Beach where locals could watch participants gaining the honor of being first to swim in that particular year.

Townsite covered in snow.

One of the most popular Polar Bear Swims in Powell River took place in 1971, BC’s centennial year, where 500 spectators filled Willingdon Beach and 27 swimmers splashed into the surf. That year, the swimmers took pledges and the funds raised went towards the construction of a municipal swimming pool – the same pool that is still in use today at the Recreation Complex!

Blast from the Past is a monthly historical column written by the Townsite Heritage Society’s coordinator Joëlle Sévigny. The THS tells the history of Townsite from 1907 onward.

Sleighing down the big hill towards Mowat Bay.

All photos from the Townsite Digester