Close to 300 swimmers registered to take part in Sunday’s annual Swim the Canal event. Photo by IAN NATHANSON/CAPE BRETON POSTArticle contentSiobhan Murphy first heard about the annual Swim the Canal event in St. Peter’s through social media channels and chit-chat among friends, but she herself decided this year to give it a try for the very first time.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentArticle content“We saw a post come on Facebook,” said Murphy, from D’Escousse. “I’d heard some people talking about it before, and I kind of wondered what it was. So then this year I saw it and looked like fun with all the pictures they posted. So I signed up.”Article contentArticle contentShe also convinced some friends of hers visiting from Ontario to join her for the event.Article contentStephanie Roth said being in Cape Breton reminds her of her home in Ontario’s Prince Edward County (specifically the community of Milford, from where she hails).Article content“It’s just nice to get away, and the people here are fantastic,” Roth said. “Essentially, Siobhan just saw this and said, ‘Hey, this looks like a great idea. Let’s do it.’”Article content Stephanie Roth, left, of Milford, Ont., and Siobhan Murphy of D’Escousse prepare to each make their first efforts to swim through the St. Peters Canal on Sunday. Photo by IAN NATHANSON/CAPE BRETON POSTArticle contentMERMAID PROGRAM INSTRUCTORS VISITArticle contentMeanwhile, a group of PADI Mermaid Program instructors from the Annapolis Valley area arrived at the canal on Sunday with a film crew to shoot some scenes for Oceans Playground, an Eastlink TV show that features local coastal adventures, water sports and marine explorations across Atlantic Canada.Article content“I’ve never been here before,” lead instructor Alanna Canaran said. “So I’ve brought some of my mermaid buddies with me, and we’re doing a little bit of a course and just a little bit of a swim. I’ve heard that there have been mermaids here in the past, but not such a big pod.”Article contentArticle contentBut her fellow program instructors say their intentions are to enjoy the canal swim and all it has to offer.Article contentArticle content“I’ve heard of this swim the canal before, but for me, I’ve never actually gotten to participate,” said Jennifer Milne of Blandford.Article content“We’re going to do the whole thing — it’s go big or go home. We brought noodles. We’re going to have a little relaxy taxi and hope it just takes us down the way. For all of us, it’s going to be … mermazing!!”Article content From left, PADI Mermaid Program lead instructor Alanna Canaran is joined by Caroline Landry, April Hustins, Claire MacMaster, Taylor Milne and Jennifer Meisner, who were filming a portion of their Swim the Canal visit on Sunday for the Eastlink TV series, Oceans Playground. Photo by IAN NATHANSON/CAPE BRETON POSTArticle contentIT ALL STARTED 12 YEARS AGOArticle contentWith the exception of 2020 and 2021 (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), Swim the Canal has been a St. Peter’s staple since 2014, when it all started as a nostalgic swim for a retired Richmond County couple, Gordon and Ann Marie Kerr, and friends who used to take to the waters of the St. Peters Canal National Historic Site in their youth.Article content“When I moved back home 15 years ago, I noticed nobody was swimming in the canal anymore, and we used to spend all our days there when I was younger,” Ann Marie Kerr said. “So I thought, ‘Let’s swim in the canal and ask some friends if they wanted to go.’ And it just developed from there.”
In the swim of things during 2026 edition of Cape Breton’s Swim the Canal event
