They came wearing Viking costumes, reindeer antlers and cave men attire before leaping into the icy waters of English Bay and ringing in the new year in Vancouver.
Hundreds of brave souls took the plunge Saturday for the 91st annual Polar Bear Swim, far outstripping their counterparts in Herring Cove near Halifax on the other side of the country.
Seven-year-old Rachel Sanbrook was a third-generation swimmer at Vancouver's yearly event, following in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother, who watched from the sidelines this time around.
The carnival atmosphere in the city's West End drew thousands of onlookers to the beach on a sunny 2 C day.
Tyler Kelley says he came from Los Angeles to take part in the popular event so he could don a chicken costume and dive into the frigid water.
About 200 jumpers turned out for the 17th annual polar bear dip in Herring Cove as the temperature hovered around 3 C.
