Crossing of Lake Ontario by Marilyn Bell National Historic Event
Toronto, Ontario
Crossing of Lake Ontario by Marilyn Bell
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Address :
Toronto, Ontario
Recognition Statute:
Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date:
2005-11-28
Other Name(s):
-
Crossing of Lake Ontario by Marilyn Bell
(Designation Name)
Research Report Number:
2004-075
Importance:
Attracted national and international attention to Canada's strong standing in marathon swimming and fostered the sport's development
Plaque(s)
Existing plaque: Budapest Park Lakeshore Boulevard West, Toronto, Ontario
On the evening of September 9, 1954, 16-year-old marathon swimmer Marilyn Bell became the first person to swim across Lake Ontario. Racing unofficially against the heavily favoured American swimmer Florence Chadwick, Bell endured eels, high winds, and frigid waters for almost 21 hours to complete her world-record-breaking 51.5-kilometre swim here. Her courageous achievement won unprecedented attention both at home and abroad for the sport of marathon swimming in Canada. Bell's swim demonstrated that women could compete in even the most gruelling sports and fostered immense national pride.