Like everything else, the Vancouver Polar Bear Swim will look different for 2021 with an at-home Polar Bear Plunge organized by the Vancouver Park Board.
Polar Bear Swim Founder Peter Pantages. Photo 1927 by Stuart Thomson.
It was in 1920 that Peter Pantages, founder of Vancouver’s Polar Bear Swim Club, led a hardy group of swimmers who all plunged into English Bay on New Year’s Day. There were 10 participants back then and now over 5,000 people (usually) participate in this local tradition each January 1st.
Vancouver Polar Bear Swim 2021
The swim has become the Polar Bear Dip and is going online January 1st, 2021. Participants are encouraged to take a dip in a bathtub or kiddie pool and, if brave enough, adjust the temperature to 7°C / 44.6 °F, the average water temperature of previous Polar Bear Swims.
“While we are deeply disappointed that our great New Year’s tradition of jumping into the frigid waters of English Bay will not be taking place in 2021, we know this is the right decision to make for the health and safety of swimmers, spectators, and staff,” said Vancouver Park Board Chair Camil Dumont.
Doing The Digital Dip
On January 1, 2021, fill a tub, kiddie pool, anything with cold water (7°C) and take a cold dip. Get creative!
Share your video and photo online with #PBPolarBearDip2021
Register to receive a commemorative certificate
Send your photo or video to [email protected] to receive a Polar Bear Swim Club button (for Canadian residents only)
“We’ve taken this community event online and hope that Vancouverites will take the dip in the safety of their home at 2:30pm on January 1st.”
Other polar bear swim events in White Rock, North Vancouver, Langley and Delta have been cancelled entirely this year due to COVID-19.
E-Comm, which handles 99 per cent of BC’s 9-1-1 call volume at its two emergency communications centres, has released its annual top 10 list of calls that don’t belong on 9-1-1, reminding people that every time someone calls 9-1-1 with a non-urgent concern, they are putting the lives of other British Columbians at risk.
Top 10 List of Calls That Don’t Belong on 9-1-1
In addition to the increase of pandemic-related enquiries that tied up 9-1-1 lines in 2020, E-Comm call takers also dealt with some familiar consumer complaints that seem to wind up on its top 10 nuisance calls list year after year including cars that can’t start, bank cards that are stuck in ATMs and callers wondering about the time.
Complaining that their food delivery driver did not deliver their meal
Enquiring if there is a full lockdown for COVID-19
Wondering if having a trampoline is illegal during COVID-19
Asking for assistance to apply for CERB
Complaining that the mattress they had purchased second hand was more soiled than advertised
Reporting that their bank card was stuck in the ATM
Reporting their neighbour for smoking in a non-smoking building
Enquiring about how to enter a career in law enforcement
Confirming the time
Asking for help because they were locked out of their car
“Calling 9-1-1 to ask a question or report a consumer complaint may seem harmless enough,” says E-Comm call taker Megan McMath. “But, what people may not realize is that we need to treat every call as an emergency, until we can determine otherwise. That means that every moment we spend responding to general questions, concerns or complaints takes away from our priority – helping people who need help right away.”
E-Comm is also asking the public not to call 9-1-1 to report concerns about public health violations and encouraging British Columbians to refer to the wide range of resources available for COVID-19 instead.
To report public health violations, please contact your local by-law office or call your local police non-emergency line
In Vancouver, please call 3-1-1 or report your concern online
If you feel that you might have COVID-19, please call ahead to your primary care provider’s office or 8-1-1 to assess whether you need testing
For non-medical information about COVID-19, call 1-888-COVID-19 or visit bccdc.ca
E-Comm is the first point of contact for 9-1-1 callers in 25 regional districts in British Columbia and provides dispatch services for more than 70 police agencies and fire departments across the province.
With people (hopefully) staying closer to home this season, and tree lots selling out of supply, there will be a great demand for Christmas tree recycling in Vancouver this year. While events like previous years cannot happen due to COVID restrictions, you can drop off your live, cut trees at one of these Lower Mainland locations for chipping, or leave them out for curbside pickup.
Christmas Tree Recycling in Vancouver January 2021
Remember to remove all the tinsel and decorations from your tree.
Surrey
Central City Tree Chip for Charity Where: Central City Shopping Centre (East lot off King George Blvd) When: Sunday, January 3, 2021 from 9:00am to 4:00pm Details: Drop off your Christmas tree at Central City and the Surrey Central Lions Club will chip it! Minimum $5 donation per tree and proceeds go to the Surrey Food Bank.
Surrey Fire Fighters’ Annual Tree Chip Where: Guildford Town Centre (105 Ave & 150 St) When: Saturday, January 2, 2021 from 8:00am to 4:00pm Details: Since 1988, the Surrey Fire Fighters Charitable Society has organized the Annual Tree Chip. This year, the tree chip will be held at Guildford Town Centre with COVID-19 safety protocols in place. Please note that you will not be allowed outside of your vehicle during the tree chip.
Trees are accepted with a small cash donation and the donor will receive a brochure about the charitable society and small token of their appreciation.
The Vancouver Short Film Festival (“VSFF”) has announced its 2021 program, which will highlight some of the most innovative and original films British Columbia has to offer. If you’re tired of the same old streaming content over the last few months, this will be some refreshing entertainment!
Vancouver Short Film Festival 2021
When: January 22-24, 2021 Where: Online Tickets: Available January 6, 2021
To celebrate the incredible talent of BC’s filmmakers VSFF has expanded their festival to include 61 short films premiering over three days. This includes their popular genre-focused After Dark program, which is now a double-feature grind house style screening of 15 terrifying, experimental, and action-packed short films. They are also highlighting some of BC’s strongest emerging talent with 11 student films from 7 different schools.
Program Highlights
This is a Period Piece (dir. Bruna Arbex, starring Matreya Scarrwener) Dramedy. A 13 year old confronts her fears of becoming a woman on the night she gets her period for the first time.
FREYA (dir. Camille Hollett-French, starring Rhona Rees & Elysia Rotaru) Sci-Fi/Drama. A young woman attempts to regain control of her body in a future where social media and the State operate as one.
The Tailor (dir. Nathalie Therriault, starring Megan Danso & Hiro Kanagawa) Drama. A gender non-conforming person struggling to assert their identity unexpectedly finds courage in an aging master tailor.
In addition to highlighting indie creators, this year’s VSFF also features big name talent. Notable titles include the sci-fi flick Watershed, starring Nathalie Boltt (Riverdale); the dark comedy A New Leash on Life, co-starring Fred Ewanuick and Nancy Robertson (Corner Gas); Logan Lee & the Rise of the Purple Dawn, a sci-fi comedy starring Osric Chau (The Flash, Supernatural); and the LGBTQ thriller/drama The Quieting, directed by Canadian Screen Award winning actress Ali Liebert (Bomb Girls) and starring Sara Canning (Nancy Drew, A Series of Unfortunate Events) and Julia Sarah Stone (Honey Bee, The Killing).
It will be a quiet weekend, with Christmas Day on Friday and limited gatherings and events. However, you can still enjoy a few online shows, light displays, and fun at a handful of local attractions. Here’s the festive Things to do in Vancouver This Weekend roundup:
