What has been a nuisance for most residents of Britannia turned into an unexpected opportunity for a local group of thrill-seekers. The Ottawa West Ice Dippers, a Facebook group originally created to share updates on ice dipping holes at Britannia Beach, found a novel way to extend their season: taking a plunge into the floodwaters that inundated the area in late April.
From Ice Holes to Flood Waters
Due to heavy rainfall and warm temperatures in the previous month, the Ottawa River flooded various parts of the city, including Britannia, where water levels rose high enough to submerge park benches. While many saw this as a hassle, the ice dippers saw a chance for adventure.
“When I saw the flooded waters, I thought, this has to happen,” said Christiane Aitken, a member of the group since January. “I went to try it out on my own, I tried the path along the benches and that was a success for me.” Despite receiving curious looks, she was determined to gather a group for a collective dip.
A Novel Experience
On April 21, just days after Ottawa residents were warned of heavy rainfall, nine ice dippers braved the flooded beach. “It was a novelty,” Aitken remarked. “How often do you have a chance to go cold plunging in flooded waters like that? It was a new exploration and definitely great for pictures and memories. And it was cold.”
For member Erik Thuswaldner, the flood plunge marked his first experience with the group. Having previously cold plunged in the Atlantic Ocean, he found the temperature similar. “They were very encouraging to have someone come out and have their first plunge in the group,” he said.
A Viral Moment
Thuswaldner described the gathering as akin to “being a little kid in a wading pool,” with random people sitting in the water, talking through the pain of wading in two-degree Celsius water. A photo of Thuswaldner reading a book while sitting on a half-submerged bench at Britannia Bay went viral on Instagram, reposted by multiple popular Ottawa accounts.
“It was never intended to go viral and reach the masses,” he said. “It was just a little funny prank to take a funny photo in the moment.” The image sparked mixed reactions online, with some appreciating the humor and others expressing concerns about swimming in the Ottawa River.
Safety and Cleanliness
Laura Reinsborough, CEO of Ottawa Riverkeeper, addressed misconceptions about the river’s cleanliness. “The Ottawa River is one of the cleanest capital rivers in the world. It’s naturally brown from being rich in tannin,” she explained. During flooding, this brown color becomes more pronounced as the water is stirred up. Reinsborough noted that safety hazards vary by season, with physical risks being more prominent during flood season than bacteriological ones.
