Toronto begins 2016 with polar bear dip for charity

Hundreds of brave people in Toronto, the most populous city in Canada, on Friday took an icy dip in Lake Ontario to greet New Year of 2016 for a good reason.

The Toronto Polar Bear Club dip, which has entered the 11th year, takes place in Canada on New Year's Day, when thousands take the occasion to indulge in some well-thought-of momentary insanity.

Friday's dip was held at Toronto's Sunnyside Beach on Lake Ontario, one of North America's coldest lakes, with participation of more than 500 people.

The temperature with wind chill was minus 8 degrees Celsius in the day and the lake was beyond cold with the shoreline ice-encrusted. A reason to partake in this icy folly was to have fun, test endurance and raise money for charity, according to organizers.

Since 2005, the Toronto Polar Bear Club has hosted the event to raise fund for Habitat for Humanity, which helps build simple, affordable and decent homes for families in need in the city. They are hoping to raise 65,000 Canadian dollars (about 46,800 U.S. dollars) this year. Since its beginning, the event has brought in nearly 300,000 Canadian dollars (about 216,000 U.S. dollars) in donations, said the organizers.

Habitat for Humanity GTA is currently working on 47 homes across eight different building sites, 27 of which will be completed by the end of 2016. "We know the impact is transformational," said Habitat for Humanity GTA CEO Ene Underwood.

Polar Bear Dip co-founder Mike Bonneveld said the event has grown in the last 11 years with its inaugural plunge starting with only 15 people. But over the years, more and more people have been enchanted by the New Year's Day event, both local residents and visiting travelers.

"It's exhilarating, it's refreshing. It's quite an experience, everyone should do at least once," a participant from Australia told Xinhua. "Every (new) year, 12 noon, Sunnyside Park in Toronto, Canada. I highly recommend it to anyone, visiting or local."

The event in Toronto is just one of many dips taking place across the country. One of the oldest and most established Polar Bear Dips takes place on Canada's west coast at Vancouver's English Bay, where they have been doing it since 1920.

On the periphery of Lake Ontario, other towns were also preparing for their Polar Bear swims. From Oakville in the west to Oshawa in the east, at least 128 kilometers of lake front have seen adventurous Canadians plunge into the polar waters to welcome Day 1 of 2016. Endit