Welland polar plunge brings community together for homeless support

Welland’s first-ever polar plunge made a big splash at the Lincoln Street Docks, all to support people experiencing homelessness.

Members of Save Ontario Shipwrecks started the day cutting thick ice to create today’s dipping pool of freezing water.

Participants who signed up for the plunge know they’re diving into icy waters to support Beyond The Streets, a volunteer-led group helping people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Welland.

“I’ve been wanting to do this forever, though. And having the pledge to a good cause is my motivation to not chicken out this time,” said a participant.

For many at the event, that quick freeze is a small sacrifice because across the Niagara Region, hundreds of people are experiencing homelessness — more than 700 in the most recent regional government count, with hundreds living unsheltered.

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Welland doesn’t have a number of its own at the moment. John Chiocchio, Welland Ward 3 councillor, says the numbers fluctuate.

“We’ll go from community to community, so they go up and down. But we have an overnight shelter which is at Holy Trinity that Beyond the Streets is putting on now. It’s kind of an emergency shelter that they’re going to be doing right until the end of March,” said Coun. Chiocchio.

“Their funds are limited. They’re not government funded, they’re just community funded so we figured why not and help a good cause for Welland, help our community,” said Tisha Vaillancourt, Lovely Day for a Dip organizer.

This polar dip isn’t just about testing your tolerance for frostbite.

“I know how hard it is for people out there and a dip for a minute is not gonna kill me. I might as well see what it’s like,” said another participant.

Organizers say for the dozens jumping in today, this chill only lasts a few seconds — for some in the community, the cold can last all night.

“We get to experience the cold for five minutes — we get to warm up, go home. You know, other people that are on the streets, they don’t get to go home, they don’t get to warm up,” said event organizer Meaghan Mulcair.

Organizers say they’re hoping to raise at least $5,000. And just half an hour before the cold plunge, Mulcair said they were close to $3,000.

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