Close your eyes and picture Canada. What do you see? Probably a winter wonderland with snow-shrouded forests, icy roads, dog sleds, polar bears, penguins…
Wait, wrong hemisphere. We don’t have penguins. Also, you’re more likely to see a Nunavut bear-shaped licence place than an actual polar bear in your backyard.
For the rest, you’re not far off. Canada is world-famous for its long, harsh winters. Canada epitomizes winter wonderland, which is why many prospective immigrants spend months preparing for their first snowfall while others simply question their immigration project—“I don’t like winter, should I even consider moving to Canada?”
I’ve been living in Ontario for 17 years and I hate winter. But hey, I’m still here. There’s a thing or two you should know about this long season…
It doesn’t really matter where you’re from
Canada is a very multicultural country with newcomers from all over the world. Surprisingly, I find there’s no hard rule for winter adaptability—immigrants from tropical countries can end up embracing Canadian winter and immigrants from colder places can be complaining about it every single year.
Granted, Russians, Scandinavians, Northern Chinese, Americans just across the border and other northern folks start with a leg up. They’ve seen snow before, they’ve experienced below-zero temperatures. Yet, I know plenty of Indians, Somalis, Italians or Mexicans who look like they’ve been wearing snow boots their entire life.
Let’s not forget a sizeable proportion of born-and-raised Canadians dread winter. Few admit it because there are bragging rights to consider (“of course, I’m wearing shorts, it’s only -10⁰C!”) and because it’s quite pointless to complain about winter when it’s a fact of life, but still.
Actual temperature doesn’t matter that much either
People respond to cold differently. I’m one of these people who feel cold before it’s actually understandable to be cold, but, on the other hand, I barely sweat when it’s 40⁰C. I’m not engineered for cold temperatures, apparently.
But strangely enough, I can perfectly take a two-hour-long walk when it’s 0⁰C, -10⁰C, -15⁰C even. Do I enjoy it as much as when it’s 35⁰C? Hell no. But as long as I’m active and wearing my thickest jacket, a scarf, gloves and a hat, I’m fine. Well, not shivering.
And trust me, you won’t be shivering 24/7 in Canada. Indoor places are reliably comfortably warm.
However, you will be exposed to cold whether you want it or not. This is one of the most annoying part of winter for me—getting out of the bed and feeling cold while getting dressed, then feeling cold again before the car warms up and when you’re finally comfortable, parking and going out in the cold again before stepping indoors and eventually leaving to start the whole freezing in the cold car again, etc.
Oh, and by the way, there’s no much difference between -20⁰C and -40⁰C—we call this range of temperatures “fucking cold,” period. However, windchill can make or break your day.
What’s so difficult about winter, then?
I’d be fine with a month or two of sub-zero temperatures but winters in Canada are long—this is the deal breaker for many of us. The first snowfall, the first winter storm, the first winter is a fascinating experience. However, winter only ends between April and June, depending on where you live. A snowy landscape feel magical around Christmas, but you’re less enthusiastic three months later as the rest of the temperate Northern hemisphere is embracing spring and “winter” is giant piles of snow, road salt and slush.
It takes a certain mental strength to deal with winter because it’s not a race, more like a marathon. It requires many adjustments to your daily routine and maybe adopting a completely different lifestyle for half of the year. Logistics get complicated because unless you’re facing very severe winter conditions, you’re still expected to show up at work. Canada doesn’t freeze and hibernate from November to April—we get through predictable and somewhat coordinated chaos the best we can.
By the way, cold temperatures are the least of your worries—dealing with blizzard and ice rain is Canada on hard mode.
So, who likes winter?
It’s not just the cold, it’s the lifestyle.
You’re probably going to embrace winter if you like staying home, making your living environment cozy, having people over, cooking comfort food, watching movies, going to the mall. Think of it as an informal lockdown—technically, you can still go out but it takes effort and careful planning.
If you’re into winter sports and if you live close to an adventure playground—think Banff, not downtown Toronto—you’re going to love powder days.
On the other hand, if you enjoy outdoor events, markets, water sports, café terraces for people watching, biking or walking to places you may want to adjust your expectations. There’s a reason why many households have two or more cars and there’s a reason why gyms are so popular in Canada—it’s about comfort because not everyone is ready to face cold-weather challenges and jog in the snow every day.
Your occupation matters as well. White collar workers only have to worry about their commute but many tradespeople are exposed to unusually harsh conditions—think roofers, electricians, construction workers, etc. Delivery, bus and truck drivers will have their work impacted too. Letter carriers in Canada and Australia do the same jobs but in very different weather conditions.
Embrace it, fight it or run away from it but plan accordingly—winter is a fact of life in Canada!
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My husband, born and raised Brazilian, has always suffered from heat strokes. The heat makes him nauseous and barely functioning. On the other hand, I saw him take out the garbage wearing flip flop and a t-shirt when we were having a crisp -30°C in Saskatchewan… So yeah, he was definitely born in a wrong country ! 😆
There’s something I can’t explain with Brazilians–a Brazilian used to comment here about ten years ago, he had moved to… Nunavut! 😆 He was loving it too!
And if you prefer your winters just chilly but soaking wet, move to Vancouver!
I’ve always heard it was very much like my winters back in Brittany. We do envy you when it gets ridiculously cold here while it’s “around 0C” in Vancouver!
And, in fact, it covers a large area. The métropolitain area around Vancouver, the Fraser Valley up to Hope, 150 km east of Vancouver and Vancouver Island.
There are large towns, small ones and small villages, offering a lot of living options for anyone.
I always said, better be able to put a coat on than not being able to remove layers. So yes it’s cold, but enjoyable anyway 😉
I was nodding along up to “enjoyable anyways” 😆 Sorry, I’m missing this Canadian gene!
I checked because I thought it was the Northwestern Territories which had the bear shaped plate. But it’s both of them, probably because Nunavut only exists since 21 years and kept the plate.
Even if it’s common to be able to adapt to the cold, I think it could be a good idea for prospective immigrants who are wondering about cold to come in Winnipeg during January or February, if they can afford it naturally.
In addition of cold, there is snow, which is a different matter in the East than in the West. There is on average less than 1 meter of snow falling on Calgary, AB each winter, but more than 3 meters in Québec, QC. Plains are dryer than Center and Maritimes Canada, which affect the feeling about cold.
I wonder if the very short days during winter are not more difficult to support than the cold itself for the majority of people.
Funny, I didn’t know Northwestern Territories license plates were also bear-shaped! We see a few Nunavut plates in Ottawa. Still unusual (because, well… clearly, they didn’t drive to Ottawa!) but common enough because Ottawa is a hub for all things related to Nunavut. Direct flights, government jobs, etc.
I agree, shorter days don’t help. Many foreigners mention how great it is to see a blue sky in winter even though blue-sky days are typically very cold. Still, seeing the sun helps somehow.
I know a guy from Cape Breton who prefers -30 C in Saskatchewan to -10 C back home because of the humidity. He said that the damp cold from the sea cuts right to the bone and you never get warm.
I spent a couple of weeks in Toronto and Montreal in the summer and it was so hot and humid that I had trouble breathing. I found that drinking beer was the only thing that helped and after a lot of beer you forgot about it entirely. I think that you don’t feel the cold in Saskatchewan as much because it is a dry cold.
I understand how suffocating humid weather can feel but I actually love it.
I think the different before dry cold and damp cold is how fast you can be warm again. I can freeze my butt off outside in Canada but it only takes me five or ten minutes to warm up once I’m indoors. However, when the weather is cold-ish and damp, like it is in France in winter, I feel cold until I take a hot shower or drink something hot.
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