Montreal police officers take polar bear plunge in Lachine Canal to benefit Special Olympics

Senior Montreal police officers along with several public figures and politicians participated in the 16th edition of the Défi de l’ours polaire – or Polar Bear Challenge – Saturday.

More than 300 participants jumped into the cold waters of the Lachine Canal in Montreal as part of the fundraising effort for various Special Olympics Quebec programs.

The more than $113,000 raised will support health programs as well as weekly supervised sports activities throughout Quebec over the course of the year to help athletes with intellectual disabilities or autism.

“It’s to raise funds for Ours Polaire,” said Marc Charbonneau, Deputy Chief with the SPVM. “Ours Polaire is an event for la Course au flambeau des agents de la paix. It’s a program for the Olympics spéciaux. So it’s for kids that have deficiencies, intellectual deficiencies, and it’s to raise funds for them to be included in society, have some jobs, and make some activities and sports.”

The fundraiser was organized by the police officers of the Law Enforcement Torch Run. Quebec Special Olympics athletes, police officers, aspiring police officers as well as other partners working in the security field also participated in the challenge.

“We have athletes that will be jumping in the water, in the cold water with police officers,” said Daniel Granger, the chairman of the Special Olympics Quebec board of directors. “And it’s really to build this relationship between police officers across the province, across the world who are supporting special athletes around the world.”