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The recent warming trend has weakened the ice on the Portage Canal, so the Heikinpäivä Polar Bear Dive for 2017 is cancelled.
The annual plunge into the icy waters is a tradition of the Finnish-themed mid-winter celebration and is usually held the same day as the Heikinpäivä parade this Saturday.
Polar Bear Dive coordinator Julie Knight says they can’t risk the safety of the participants, noting that the Coast Guard recommends that nobody be on the ice due to the warmer than normal temperatures we’ve been experiencing and it’s not likely the ice conditions will improve in time to try to have the Dive.
Folks are encouraged to take part in the many other aspects of Heikinpäivä, including the enrichment classes, parade, tori market, outdoor games and evening dance.
