Cape Breton canal swim hits 10th anniversary this weekend

Hundreds are expected to descend on St. Peter's, N.S., this weekend to swim through the village's canal locks. 

Swim The Canal originated as a nostalgia trip in 2014 when local resident Ann Marie Kerr noticed that the St. Peters Canal National Historic Site no longer permitted swimming.

Recalling her enjoyment of canal swims as a child and a teenager, Kerr and her husband, Gordon, got permission from Parks Canada for a sanctioned swim that attracted 75 people to take the plunge on the final day of Nicolas Denys Days, the village's community festival.

The event grew over the next four years, eventually attracting as many as 370 people from across Cape Breton, mainland Nova Scotia and countries as diverse as Germany, Brazil, Austria and Sweden. 

COVID-19 sidelined the event for two years before it returned in 2022. Organizers are aiming for a maximum of 400 swimmers for the 10th anniversary this year.

'It's a rush'

In the event's first year, participants entered the Atlantic Ocean from Battery Provincial Park, swam through the canal locks and finished on the Bras d'Or Lake side of St. Peter's. However, this course was reversed in 2015 to allow the current from the locks to work with the swimmers as opposed to complicating their kilometre-long journey. 

"It was a little tricky [in 2014]," said Ann Marie Kerr, who has completed all seven events. "When they opened the locks, we were all pushed back.

"But [with the current], it's wonderful. Everyone's screeching and hollering, and you feel like you're a really great swimmer. It's a rush."

With the assistance of Parks Canada staff, the local fire department, lifeguards and an army of volunteers, Swim The Canal has become a highlight of the summer for many Richmond County residents and visitors from other communities. 

"We've had notes from people afterwards saying it's the best day of their whole life. It's so joyous — it's just wonderful," said Ann Marie Kerr.

All ages welcome

While a small number of Swim The Canal participants are competitive swimmers, the pace of the swim — including a pause prior to the opening of the locks — makes it open to all ages and abilities. Many children swim with their grandparents. A 92-year-old man took the plunge last summer. 

As he wraps his first full decade as Swim The Canal's main co-ordinator, Gordon Kerr will never forget the summer that a participant with the same name as the village's French fur-trading founder arrived for the swim.

"One year we had Nicolas Denys swim through the canal — he came from Alberta," Gordon Kerr said. "It wasn't the 'real' Nicolas Denys, but it was close enough."

Online pre-registration for Swim The Canal 2024 ends Friday night. Same-day registration gets underway Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. at Battery Provincial Park, with the swim slated to begin at approximately 3 p.m.