The 2025 Polar Plunge at Lansdowne Park was a resounding success despite frigid temperatures and a snowstorm that swept across Ottawa.
Local heroes, including members of the Ottawa Police Service, plunged into icy waters and raised more than $70,000 for Special Olympics Ontario to support the 2025 school championships in Ottawa in June.
With 36 agencies participating across the province, this year’s fundraising total more than doubled last year’s, showcasing incredible support for 23,000 Special Olympics athletes across Ontario.
Here’s an array of photos by Postmedia’s Ashley Fraser.
Special Olympics Athlete Melanie Heroux is gently guided into the pool by divers from the Ottawa Police Service marine, dive and trails unit.Photo by Ashley Fraser /POSTMEDIA
Sgt. Sebastien Lemay, of the Ottawa Police Service’s community policing central district team, took the plunge Saturday rocking his police issued winter hat even though that didn’t seem to help in keeping him warm in the frigid water.Photo by Ashley Fraser /POSTMEDIA Ottawa Police Service Chief Eric Stubbs was the first to take the plunge, making a real splash.Photo by Ashley Fraser /POSTMEDIA Ottawa Police Service Acting Insp Cory Robertson is a veteran plunger, returning year after year to raise funds for Special Olympics Ontario.Photo by Ashley Fraser /POSTMEDIA From costumes to inflatable pool toys, everyone who jumped brought a little flavour to make entertaining for the spectators.Photo by Ashley Fraser /POSTMEDIA From costumes to inflatable pool toys, everyone who jumped brought a little flavour to the event.Photo by Ashley Fraser /POSTMEDIA The diversity of footwear among the crowd gathered around the pool, watching and waiting for their turns to plunge, was, well, varied.Photo by Ashley Fraser /POSTMEDIA The wind whipping across Lansdowne Park on Saturday added an extra bite to the chill as plungers prepared to take their dips in the frigid pool.Photo by Ashley Fraser /POSTMEDIA Special Olympics athlete Kate Brubacher, left, and Ottawa Police Service Acting Staff Sgt. Cathy Wood take the plunge hand in hand.Photo by Ashley Fraser /POSTMEDIA From costumes to inflatable pool toys, everyone who jumped brought a little flavour to make the event entertaining for spectators.Photo by Ashley Fraser /POSTMEDIA John Legate, a retired Ontario Provincial Police member with 31 years of service who retired 30 years ago, didn’t let his age hold him back from participating in the fundraising event.Photo by Ashley Fraser /POSTMEDIA John Legate, a retired Ontario Provincial Police member with 31 years of service who retired 30 years ago, was congratulated by Ottawa Police Service Chief Eric Stubbs after bravely emerging from the freezing cold pool.Photo by Ashley Fraser /POSTMEDIA John Legate, a retired Ontario Provincial Police member with 31 years of service who retired 30 years ago, waves to the crowd at Saturday’s event.Photo by Ashley Fraser /POSTMEDIA “I am just astounded that not only do people keep coming back to jump into freezing cold water, but we expand every year,” said acting Sgt. Megan Arbuthnot of the Ottawa Police Service, the driving force behind Saturday’s fundraising event.Photo by Ashley Fraser /POSTMEDIA Mathieu Couture Lauzon of the Ottawa Police Service flashes a peace sign as he takes the plunge.Photo by Ashley Fraser /POSTMEDIA Two members of the Ottawa Police Service marine, dive and trails unit, along with a member of the Ottawa Paramedic Service marine unit, posed for a photo, floating in the pool after all the jumpers had finished.Photo by Ashley Fraser /POSTMEDIA Two members of the Ottawa Police Service marine, dive and trails unit, along with a member of the Ottawa Paramedic Service marine unit (not pictured) were in the pool to make sure plungers were safe in the chilly water.Photo by Ashley Fraser /POSTMEDIA
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