Montrealers take the Big Splash in the St. Lawrence
CBC News | Posted: July 22, 2014 2:11 PM | Last Updated: July 22, 2014
Montreal Baignade holds 11th annual St. Lawrence River swim to the water is safe
Image | Big Splash
Caption: A group of Montrealers donned orange life vests before jumping into the St. Lawrence. (Sophie Blais/CBC)
About 200 Montrealers, including Projet Montréal's Richard Bergeron, took a chilly dip in the St. Lawrence this morning.
It's part of an annual event organized by Montreal Baignade, a citizens' group intent on fighting for better access to the city's waterways.
This year was the 11th annual edition of the Big Splash. Initially it was done to prove the water in the St. Lawrence was clean enough for swimming.
Since then, however, it has become an annual rite of summer.
Image | Big Splash
Caption: Upwards of 200 people jumped into the St. Lawrence Tuesday morning just after 8 a.m. (Sophie Blais/CBC)
Image | Big Splash 3
Caption: A group of swimmers launched themselves into the water as part of an annual event meant to petition the city for more places to swim safely. (Sophie Blais/CBC)
Image | Big Splash 4
Caption: Montreal Baignade has been holding the annual St. Lawrence swim for 11 years. Organizer Pierre Lussier says many Montrealers believe the river is not clean enough to swim in, but that in reality, it's quite clean most of the time. (Sophie Blais/CBC)
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