More than 800 brave souls plunged into frigid Boundary Bay on New Year's Day to celebrate the start of 2025.

The record-breaking crowd rang in the new year by racing into the 8.2 C water (which was actually a couple of degrees warmer than the air) at Centennial Beach in Boundary Bay Regional Park last Wednesday afternoon (Jan. 1), while hundreds more chose to stay warm and dry on shore as they cheered on friends and family taking part in the swim.

Festivities at the City of Delta's 43rd annual Polar Bear Swim began at 11:45 a.m. with an array of activities, including a drum circle, treasure hunt, skeeball, glitter tattoos and marshmallow roasting, as well as hot dogs and hot chocolate provided by the Tsawwassen Boundary Bay Lions Club.

After the main event at 1 p.m., prizes were awarded to the first three female and male swimmer to ring a bell on a buoy. Madelyn Paredes Troughton, Talia Dunsmoor and Sarah Steele were the top swimmers in the women's category, while Harlan Theaker, Luke Logan and Benjamin Ruder took home trophies in the men's.

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