Sub-zero temperatures don’t normally scream a “casual day at the beach”, but since 2017, thousands of half-naked souls have stared down cold winter waters to help break the ice on youth mental health.

The annual event is known as Brainfreeze: Polar Bear Dip for Youth Mental Health.

Brainfreeze began as the idea of two transformative organizations, jack.org and Surf the Greats, to bring attention to the rising problem of suicide among young people in Canada. The thinking was simple: Come together for a courageous, collective act that raises awareness and alleviate stigma.

The first event kicked off in 2017 with eighty passionate polar bears and raised $18,000.00 – an impressive feat by any calculation.

In the years since, the Brainfreeze community has swelled into an enthusiastic national demonstration, spanning across six Canadian cities (Halifax, Montreal, Collingwood, Toronto, Victoria and Vancouver) and upwards of $525,000 raised for jack.org.

Photos by: Viktor Radics, Dexter Chew Photography, Oliver Karmel-Shann and Sam Moffatt Photography; Yalin Kaya, Sue Holland, Sanjeev Kugan, Alex Bruce, Marcel Rocheleau & Tania Kolesnik.