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Being positive in negative

Not all’s blue about Canada’s winter but you sure can’t beat the chill with Indian winter clothes.

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Peeyush Agnihotri

Snow — don’t you dare say that four-lettered word? This is how most Canadians, including just-a-season old immigrants from India, react to those freezing flakes. Ironically, when in India, many of them would make a beeline to Manali or Shimla at the slightest hint of that white powder falling from the sky.

Being a ‘freak weather’ chaser is entirely different from living with the chill and  white dump for most part of the year. In Canada, it’s a way of life! Imagine living in a place where you must shovel those dunes before you can leave for the day’s work or chores. A Canadian cliché : There are just two seasons in Canada — one is construction and the other winter — sums it all. Canucks, either fully utilise warm weather to build infrastructure and repair roads, or just grin and navigate slippery roads and snow banks during a cold snap.

Like them, every new immigrant must bear it. Is there an option if you plan to make Canada the future home? The first winter in Canada could be dreadful. Blizzards, slick pathways, wind chill, driving on icy highways. No wonder, car insurance is hugely expensive for new immigrants and first-time drivers. Surviving the first winter can be daunting. After that, it’s not that it stops being a challenge. It’s just that we get used to it!

How wintry does it get?

It’s not about living for a few days at 2°C or 0°C — the deepest the mercury would usually dive in the plains of North India. Here, in Canada, we are looking at minus 30°C or so for wintry months and minus 10°C, on an average, for most part of the spring and fall in the prairies of Canada — Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Add the wind-chill factor to it and we may sometimes be looking at life-threatening situations. In Ontario (read most-inhabited Toronto), it’s damp cold but the temperature doesn’t nosedive sharply. Northern Ontario is a different (snow)ball-game though. There are a few milder exceptional provinces like British Columbia, where it’s not that cold, but constant rain gets your goat. 

Get your dress code right

You can spot a newcomer by his Monte Carlo sweater. Being new, most of them are ignorant on how to dress up for the weather. Those fancy jackets, purchased in India, turn irrelevant as they are just not made for the Canadian winter. Jackets here are specially lined with insulated material. Reputed companies either use synthetic or down (bird feathers) insulation. But cotton? Give it a break. It is just not on during winters. 

Some Indian winter apparels may freeze you outdoors, yet might make you sweat while inside. Blame the sweat on pink fibreglass foam and mineral-fibre insulation between home drywalls and that awesome indoor heat and furnace system. While it does make one cozy, it’s also primarily responsible for lending a ‘thermostatic’ illusion as one is not accurately able to gauge the chill outside. It is highly advisable to dress up in layers. 

According to the Government of Canada website: “Dress warmly when you go outside during cold weather. Wear layers of clothing with a wind-resistant outer layer. You can remove layers if you get too warm, before you start sweating, or add a layer if you get cold. Wear warm socks, mittens, a hat and scarf.” Add balaclava, layered pants, woollen socks, toques and gloves to your wardrobe. Also, sun shades are very helpful.

Cars catch the cold too

Even the cars need a bit of warm-up before they hit the road on winter tyres (by the way, it’s required by law in Quebec even as other provinces debate having or not having them). On a side note, it’s worth mentioning that cars in Canada come equipped with block heaters — an electric plug dangles from under the hood, which needs to be plugged in a socket during extreme cold.

Keep warm to stay fit

In extreme cold, exposed skin can become frostbitten in less than a minute — a very serious condition, affecting not only the skin but also underlying tissue, including muscle and bone. The less severe form is called frostnip. Watch out for signs of hypothermia if stuck in cold.

Geographically speaking, most of the USA and all of Canada lies above 37th parallel (latitude). This is the laxman-rekha for sunshine. As we move up the latitude, the amount of sunshine decreases — an important source of Vitamin D. Many in Canada are thus advised to take vitamin supplements to avoid a domino’s effect on health. Another must-have vitamin supplement is Vitamin C that helps stave off common cold. Physicians also recommend brisk treadmill walk, cardio or yoga, just 45 minutes, three times a week, to boost metabolism during the winter months.

A false belief is that alcohol and caffeine help ward off cold. That actually is not the case. Such drinks dehydrate and make you lose heat more rapidly. Sorry Tim Horton’s and neighborhood pub.

Winter has something for everyone. Just stay temperamentally positive in negative temperature. After all, it’s the most wonderful time of the year.

Winter events

So, Canadians stay indoors during winters? Says who. There is a lot to celebrate and enjoy both at the community and individual level. Major cities hold winter events — Ice magic festival in Banff, Alberta, Winterruption and ChorFest South in Regina, Saskatchewan, Winterlicious, Aurora Winter Festival, Toronto Tango in GTA, Ontario, just to name a few. At the individual level, adrenalin-secreting outdoor activities like tobogganing, skating, skiing, snowboarding and street hockey, keep youngsters busy. 

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