Montreal’s Polar Bear Club

Montreal’s Polar Bear Club Casual weekly ice plunges 🐻‍❄️ and good vibes 😎
Verdun Beach every Sunday at 9am (check page for confirmation/cancellation)

03/08/2026

Reminder for everyone asking if the community still does the plunges: join the “Montreal’s Polar Bear Club Community” group on Facebook! 🐻‍❄️

That’s where members chat, plan plunge dates, and see who’s going.

01/18/2026

📣 Everyone should read this! 📣

Alright everyone, here’s the full and honest update on what’s actually happening with the Verdun Polar Plunges.

After gathering 350+ signatures and getting media coverage, the Verdun borough reached out and scheduled a meeting, which took place this past Thursday. Below is the gist of what was discussed.

What the borough said
• The borough cannot allow beach access informally.
• To make it official, they must follow laws, regulations, and safety standards.
• This has never been done this way before, so they currently don’t have a concrete framework.
• They would need to review security, infrastructure, legal liability, permits, and public safety before backing it.

Bottom line: nothing major will happen this winter. This will take time—how much time depends on public demand and cost. We started the discussion, but this is not a priority project for them (that was the clear vibe).

They said they’ll look into it and keep us posted—but don’t expect fireworks.



Important legal realities (read carefully)
1. The beach is officially off-limits
• Entering it can result in fines or enforcement.
2. Behind the wave-breaker rocks
• According to the borough, this area is not part of the beach.
• They do not have the legal authority to monitor or police there.
• Same applies to parts of the riverbed.
• The beach itself is under their jurisdiction.
3. Ice holes = responsibility
• Anyone who makes a hole in the ice is legally responsible for it.
Loi 263 – Obligation de protection
Anyone who creates a hole in publicly accessible ice must secure it and clearly signal its presence.
Failure to do so can lead to criminal charges if an accident occurs, as it may be considered criminal negligence.
4. Becoming “official”
• They suggested forming an organization:
• Risk management
• Trained personnel (CPR, safety)
• Waivers
• Permits (required if 50+ people)
• This means money, bureaucracy, time, and long-term commitment.

This community was never created to become a for-profit or bureaucratic entity.
If someone wants to take that route, you’re welcome to—and please share your progress with the community.



What this means for the Montreal Polar Bear Club

As of today:
• We are NOT hosting official events
• No official plunge announcements
• No organized activities
• The Montreal Polar Bear Club does not host events and hence does not bear any responsibility for meetings between citizens

What exists now is a community, not an organizer club.
• Everyone participates at their own discretion
• Everyone is responsible for themselves and each other
• Communication happens between members

If you choose to go Sundays at 9am—you can.
If you post content—you do so as a community member, not under an official banner.

Coordinate with each other:
• Who’s going
• What time
• Who brings tools
• Who’s watching out for who



About cutting the ice

We will no longer cut the ice as an organizer club by ourselves.
• Ice cutting must now be community-driven
• Bring tools together
• Coordinate together
• Secure the hole afterward together

A new safety system was put in place this past Sunday by a community member (see photos in comments).
It’s now everyone’s responsibility to maintain safety.

If no one cuts holes, this enforcement will likely push people upstream, where there’s open water and stronger currents—which is objectively less safe.

This is the unfortunate result of inaction, not intention.



Final thoughts

We tried to keep things centralized and safe, but centralization also creates a single entity they can police and punish.

The borough’s priority is security—and that’s fair.
We’ve been open to collaboration from day one.

But talk without action is just talk.

We built a community.
We started a movement.
And it’s strong enough to sustain itself—and evolve.



Next steps

We strongly encourage everyone to move to the Community Group, where members can communicate directly. ( In comment section)

This page will remain inactive until real change happens.

Stay frosty, Polar Bears 🧊🐻

1️⃣ Don't forget to read the Important Information letter pinned in Featured posts before joining any event2️⃣ 📣As tempe...
01/11/2026

1️⃣ Don't forget to read the Important Information letter pinned in Featured posts before joining any event
2️⃣ 📣As temperatures begin to drop, it’s crucial to take the cold seriously and prepare accordingly. The cold is no joke—proper preparation can make all the difference. Please take the time to carefully read all the important information shared on this page and do additional research online to ensure you’re fully equipped.
Here are some essentials to consider bringing:
•Clothing Layers: Base layers and extra layers to stay warm.
•Change of Clothes: Always have dry clothes ready to replace your cold and wet swimming gear.
•Footwear: Neoprene boots and gloves are ideal, but water shoes or crocs can suffice.
•Headgear: A warm hat and thinner gloves for ease while changing.
•Changing Essentials: A large towel or surfer poncho for privacy and comfort, along with a warm surface to stand on, such as a yoga mat or fleece blanket.
•Nourishment: Bring a hot drink and snacks to refuel.
•Extras: Heating pads for added warmth.
Remember, it’s always wiser to overprepare than to risk being underprepared in cold conditions. Take care of yourself and enjoy the experience safely! 📣
3️⃣ At 9AM, we’ll be giving an introductory speech to provide tips and tricks on the experience, mostly directed towards new participants. If you are interested in hearing them, be there on time 🙂 The event ends at 10AM.
4️⃣ Most days, we create an ice hole in the water, approximately 1–1.5 meters deep, with no walkable entry point. It’s important to be able to enter and exit the hole independently. If you have limited mobility, please consider that accessing and using the ice hole might be challenging or not possible.
5️⃣ December is a transitional period for the river, where its state fluctuates between liquid water and ice. It's highly likely that some days, it will have a layer of ice on the bottom with some slushy on top, making it unsuitable for cutting ice holes. Therefore, we will have to go around the breakwater rocks on the side to try to get in the water.
--
📣 Les températures baissent ! Soyez prêts à affronter le froid. Tous les conseils se trouvent dans la lettre d’information. 📣
1️⃣ N'oubliez pas de lire le bulletin d'information importante épinglée dans les articles en vedette avant de vous joindre à un événement.
2️⃣📣Avec la baisse des températures, il est essentiel de prendre le froid au sérieux et de bien se préparer. Le froid n’est pas à prendre à la légère—une bonne préparation peut faire toute la différence. Prenez le temps de lire attentivement toutes les informations importantes partagées sur cette page, et faites des recherches complémentaires en ligne pour vous assurer d’être parfaitement équipé.
Voici une liste d’équipements indispensables à envisager :
•Couches de vêtements : Préparez des sous-vêtements thermiques et plusieurs couches pour rester au chaud.
•Tenue de rechange : Prévoyez des vêtements secs pour remplacer vos affaires mouillées après la baignade.
•Chaussures : Des bottes ou gants en néoprène sont idéaux, mais des chaussures d’eau ou des crocs peuvent également convenir.
•Protection de la tête : Un bonnet chaud et des gants fins pour faciliter l’habillage.
•Matériel pour se changer : Une grande serviette ou un poncho de surfeur pour plus d’intimité et de confort, ainsi qu’une surface chaude pour vous tenir debout, comme un tapis de yoga ou une couverture en laine polaire.
•Ravitaillement : Apportez une boisson chaude et des collations pour vous réchauffer et reprendre des forces.
•Extras : Des chaufferettes pour un supplément de chaleur.
N’oubliez pas : il vaut toujours mieux être trop préparé que pas assez. Prenez soin de vous et profitez de cette expérience en toute sécurité ! 📣
3️⃣ À 9 heures du matin, nous prononcerons un petit discours d'introduction pour fournir des trucs et astuces sur l'expérience, principalement destinés aux nouveaux participants. Si vous souhaitez les entendre, arrivez tôt 🙂 L'événement finis a 10 AM.
4️⃣ La plupart des jours, nous creusons un trou dans la glace pour accéder à l’eau, d’environ 1 à 1,5 mètre de profondeur, sans un passage pietonnier. Il est important de pouvoir entrer et sortir du trou de manière autonome. Si vous avez une mobilité réduite, veuillez noter que l’accès et l’utilisation du trou pourraient être difficiles ou non possibles.
5️⃣ Le mois de décembre est une période de transition pour le fleuve, où son état oscille entre eau liquide et glace. Il est fort probable que certains jours, il y aura une couche de glace au fond et un peu de neige fondante sur le dessus, ce qui le rendra impropre à la découpe de trous dans la glace. Il faudra donc contourner les rochers du brise-lames sur le côté pour tenter de se mettre à l'eau.

Hey Polar Bears, we will now also start posting on our instagram, so you can tag us in your videos or follow the group😎
01/11/2026

Hey Polar Bears, we will now also start posting on our instagram, so you can tag us in your videos or follow the group😎

0 Followers, 2 Following, 1 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Montreal’s Polar Bear Club ()

 (insta) is back!Raw. Tribal. Community.Lead by one and only George.Every Saturday at 1pm, Verdun Beach.
01/11/2026

(insta) is back!

Raw. Tribal. Community.

Lead by one and only George.

Every Saturday at 1pm, Verdun Beach.

Polar Bears 🐻‍❄️ Apparently it was a great group today, and beautiful weather! Glad it worked out and the holes were not...
01/11/2026

Polar Bears 🐻‍❄️ Apparently it was a great group today, and beautiful weather! Glad it worked out and the holes were not frozen over.

Apologies again for not making it in time (especially for beginners to give the introductory presentation, or the fact there was no music), got there for 10am 🫣

See you all next Sunday on time as usual!!

Stay Frosty 😎

P.S. Big shoutout to Eric for the pictures

01/11/2026

Plunge will be at 9:30-40 (40 minutes later) due to unforeseen circumstances.

See you all there a bit later

Word of the day: sun ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ One of the most perfect days for the dip, especially for beginners! Sunny, almost...
01/04/2026

Word of the day: sun ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️

One of the most perfect days for the dip, especially for beginners! Sunny, almost no wind and just good vibes overall!

We had approximately 40 people if not more come by to the beach today throughout the event!

Don’t forget if you are new, come earlier at 9am for the morning talk/guidance

Overall, good plunge polar bears 🐻‍❄️

See you all next Sunday

Stay Frosty 😎

01/03/2026

Last minute confirmation, but we do have the plunge tomorrow as I found a ride!

9am as usual, it will be cold but sunny.

Be prepared! 🐻‍❄️

01/03/2026

For this Sunday, we’d need a ride to the beach. If you are able to come to Lasalle at 8:20am and stay until 10am until plunge is over, DM me! (Need space in the trunk for the tools)

Happy New Year polar bears 🎊🐻‍❄️🎊The Laval event was a success! A great way to start the year! One of the coldest 🥶 plun...
01/01/2026

Happy New Year polar bears 🎊🐻‍❄️🎊

The Laval event was a success! A great way to start the year!

One of the coldest 🥶 plunges in a while , that wind doesn’t mess around 😂

Big thanks to Jonathan Lachapelle from Live Without Fear for organizing 🔥

See you all Sunday

Stay frosty 😎

Address

4110 Boulevard LaSalle
Montreal, QC
H4H2S9

Opening Hours

9am - 10am

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