Swimmers take a deep breath as they travel across Northumberland Strait

Drivers on the Confederation Bridge might see an unusual sight if they peer over the water on Sunday: Dozens of swimmers and kayakers braving the waves underneath the iconic structure that straddles the Northumberland Strait.

The group of dedicated ocean travellers will be surging across the body of water for hours on Sunday, voyaging from the shores of New Brunswick to the beaches of Prince Edward Island – which spans roughly 13 kilometres – as part of the Big Swim, raising money for camp dedicated to kids facing challenges in Atlantic Canada.

Jennifer McKay, chair of the Big Swim, has dipped her toe into the waters five times as a swimmer and once as a kayaker.

“You kind of get addicted to it,” she said. “You make a lot of good friends along the way. It tends to draw a great crowd of like-minded human.”

The Big Swim first started in 2011 with three swimmers. It brought in 11 swimmers in 2012 and 34 in 2013, continuing to grow from there. Lynne Patterson, from Halifax, is swimming in the event for the first time this weekend, but she’s followed it for a while.

“I thought it was interesting to do,” said Patterson, who was a competitive swimmer when she was younger. “The last couple of years I got back into swimming. I was swimming four-to-five times a week starting in 2022.

“I ran into a friend who did the event twice and within a week I was signed up for it.”

The Big Swim is an annual crossing in the Northumberland Strait. (Source: Big Swim)

The event raises money for Brigadoon Village, which organizes year-round camp programs for Atlantic Canadian kids, youths and families living with health conditions and other challenges. The Big Swim has already collected more than $90,000 for the cause this year.

“I have a huge swimming community that has been incredibly supportive,” said Patterson, who has individually raised more than $4,000. “It’s shocking to me that everyone has been really enjoying my journey and responding to my posts.

“I had the opportunity to visit Brigadoon Village in the spring and it’s a wonderful place. Helping to send kids to camp is incredibly inspiring.”

The kayakers at the event will stick with the swimmers for the entire journey, which usually takes five-to-seven hours. They will offer snacks and motivation while keeping the swimmers safe. McKay said they use the tide to pull them forward.

She said anyone who wants to try it should just dive in head first.

“You just start swimming, it’s really that simple,” she said. “Once you hit that base, you just start adding on every week.

“If you’ve ever thought you wanted to do something extraordinary and fun, you won’t regret it.”

The Big Swim is still accepting donations. It will start on Sunday morning.