INNISFAIL – RCMP Staff Sgt. Ian Ihme never had an assignment quite like this.
It was cold and blustery outside on March 23 as an intermittent hard wind blew across the front of the patio area of Dark Woods Brewing & Coffee Roasting.
Ihme, the Innisfail RCMP detachment commander, was joined by Innisfail Fire Department Chief Gary Leith.
They were about to take a plunge, a frosty one at that.
It was a big day for Dark Woods’ second annual Polar Plunge, a fundraiser for Red Deer-based Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre (CACAC), a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering children and families impacted by abuse to lead healthy and fulfilling lives.
Dark Woods co-owner Nick Bell and his seven-year-old son Mason were first to take the plunge in side-by-side tubs of ice cold water. Father and son soon proved they were troopers.
“Last year was like plus 10 outside, or maybe plus five. Today is minus seven and it's snowing. It feels like you're in Banff,” said Bell. “And it is an absolutely beautiful day out there today.”
And then came Ihme and Leith for their turn to take the plunge.
They were both in uniform as they slowly stepped up to the top of their tubs.
There was clear shock coming from Ihme’s eyes when he hit the water but the veteran cop was also a trooper and he persevered just fine.
Leith, meanwhile, sat calmly in his tub. He even smiled as if he was relaxing on a sun-soaked beach in Mexico.
Both remained at their frigid watery posts for the entire five minutes of the most bone-chilling call of duties they’ve ever faced.
When it was over both intently eyed the nearby warming pool to rid themselves of the five-minute cold sting.
“It was cool alright. We got exposed to the cold but it was fun,” said Leith. “It was great that everybody paid lots of money for me to stay in for the five minutes.”
Ihme definitely felt a lot better once he stepped into the warming pool and far enough away from the tub of ice cold water.
“I'm feeling pretty good now that the shivering has stopped,” said Ihme, adding the event’s focus for kids in need helped forget the bone-chilling experience. “We are here to raise money for the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre, which is something that's near and dear to all of our hearts.
“It helps kids who have been victims of abuse, and it's a great charity.”
Innisfail's top cop and leading firefighter joined Bell and his son in the warming pool, as the event carried on with several other participants brave enough to go through five minutes of extreme cold in the tubs.
Bell said despite the cold weather adding to the chilling intensity of the polar plunge, the event was a success. In fact, he felt confident it would raise even more than the $5,000 that was collected during the 2023 inaugural event.
“The child advocacy centre is an unbelievable resource for young kids to be able to get the help that they need in these struggling times,” said Bell. “I now have two kids of my own and I couldn't imagine what some of those kids have to go through.”
