Polar Dip has poetic spin

Julia Le


January 24, 2010

It was a poetic plunge for many dippers who raced off the shores of Lake Promenade Park today.
About 30 dippers were met with rain and temperatures above 3C as they braved the icy waters of Lake Ontario for the annual Robbie Burns Polar Dip charity fundraiser.
Now, in its second year, the event, hosted by Port Credit travel tour operators Adventure Canada, brought out about 60 local musicians, academics and writer in celebration of the famed Scottish poet's birthday.
"Canada is a cold country, Scotland is a damp one. What better way to celebrate a fine poet than a Mississauga polar plunge on Robbie Burns' birthday," said Adventure Canada President Matthew Swan, who was the mastermind behind the event.
This year, proceeds raised will be donated to Doctors Without Borders to help with the relief efforts in Haiti.
Adventure Canada announced that they'll be matching all donations made during the event.  
Last year, it raised about $500 for local charity EcoSource and its environmental education programs for youth, adults and family.
jle@missisauga.net

When: Sunday Jan 24, 2010

Where:  A.E. Crookes Headland at Lakefront Promenade Park (across from the Port Credit Yacht Club)

Time: 2:30 pm
follow by addressing the Haggis, Poetry  and Music at The Harp, 55 Lakeshore Rd. East, Mississauga.

Themes:  Swimming, Cold water, Madness, Bagpipes, Whiskey, Music, Madness, Poetry and Madness. Celebration of 251 anniversary of Burns the Bard.

Swim Team Captain:  Shelagh Rogers, CBC Radio Host

Music: Paul Quarrington, Tom Barlow, players from the Yorktown Ukulele Jam

Dram Dispensers:  Paul Quarrington, historian Ken McGoogan

Please RSVP to rsvp@adventurecanada.com or phone 905-271-4000; make sure to let us know whether you'll be dipping, spectating or joining us at the Harp for the post-dip celebrations. There will be a Special Food Menu for the Adventure Canada group available from the Harp.

We ask that all dippers to contribute a $5 donation to Distress Centre Peel.

When Adventure Canada President Matthew Swan was interviewed about this upcoming event, he got excited, so excited that he provided numerous print-worthy quotations. These quotations were so notable that we've included them all:

"Robert Burns never swam in Port Credit, but we wish he had"

"Cold water swimming is madness....but these are mad times"

"7 days of no swimming makes 1 weak"

"Go in hard, come out wet."

"Swimming: From the outside looking in, you can't understand it. From the inside looking out, you can't explain it."

"75% of our planet is water... can you swim??"

If that isn't inspiring enough, here are some more reasons for you to take the dip next Sunday:

Bathing in cold water is not new - the Romans adopted the practice as a cure for stomach problems and headaches. It is believed to supercharge the system, improve breathing and muscle tone and decrease fatigue, and has also been claimed by some participants to improve thyroid function and skin tone, and aid constipation.  Other evidence illustrates its benefits as a
performance enhancer.

Join Shelagh Rogers on our Greenland Explorer Expedition. For  more information please click here.

After you've conquered the Port Credit Dip, why not take a refreshing dip in the Arctic Ocean? Join us on any of our 2010 Canada and the North shipboard expeditions for your chance to earn your official Adventure Canada swim team patch!

Have you been thinking about enjoying the splendours of the Arctic?  Join us for an information session on the nuts and bolts of Arctic travel.  How to get there?  What to expect? What to wear?

When: Thursday, February 11, 2010
Time: 7pm
Where: Valberg Imaging Studio. 322 Richmond Road, Ottawa.  
RSVP necessary rsvp@adventurecanada.com

Would you be interested in having an info session in your hometown? Please send your requests to info@adventurecanada.com.