Snow etc
 

This one got me curious, I expect it's been answered before, I did search snow but couldnt see anything immediate that answered the below.

So over here, a snowflake causes the majority of public transport to stop, and people lose the ability to drive properly (so it seems). For a lot of people, whose job it is to write reports and dont need to interact with customers, they can usually work from home during these periods where it would probably cause delays to actually come into work, or it would be deemed dangerous.

In canada, obviously your snow is a lot worse than ours, but if videos on youtube are anything to go by, or the stories I read on reddit, then it would seem people just sorta carry on as normal? Is this the case, or is it similar to the above where people work remotely instead and only come in when absolutely necessary?

Re: Snow etc
 

Unless in Vancouver the rest of Canada mostly carries on with life in most snow situations.

Vancouver due to mild climate turns into a wild circus when it snows and there is generally traffic isssues and transit delays and trains delayed due to the snow.

Re: Snow etc
 

Yeah, people pretty much just carry on as normal. The thing to remember is that the majority of Canada that usually gets snow, has done so for a very long time, so the infrastructure is in place to deal with it. That's one of the big differences between here and the UK. Snow is possible, but not in massive amounts, and so the infrastructure of plows and such isn't really in place to deal with it

In addition, people - in theory :D - know how to drive in snow, and likely even have snow tyres fitted, so you're not completely all over the place. Again in the UK, I'd say very few people would have snow tires fitted

One thing I find interesting is Buffalo vs Toronto when it comes to snow. The speed at which things get plowed is considerably better than in Toronto / GTA. I've driven down from Oakville after a heavy snowfall, the same weather system also hit Buffalo, and the roads were very poorly plowed. Once I'm over the border, things improve dramatically. This also includes residential streets, without bus routes or anything special on them, getting plowed very quickly.
I also noticed that because of this, a lot of the cars aren't running snow tyres, as things generally get cleaned up pretty quickly.

Re: Snow etc
 

Yes, there's efficient ploughing in Canada but most weeks with snow I see a vehicle in the ditch. Life does not so much carry on as normal as disruptions are accepted as being usual. The thresholds for weather are:

- school buses cancelled
- schools closed
- snow ploughs pulled
- roads closed

The incidence of these should be available if you know the location of interest.

We don't have school aged children and so carry on regardless. Here I suppose there are a couple of dozen days per winter with no school buses, a dozen with school closures and half a dozen with no ploughs. There's very little difference between no ploughs and road closure; the ploughs are pulled when the drivers can't see, the roads don't stay open long after that so you have to steer around barriers.

I expect to lose a day's work due to weather through the winter, either because of blowing snow making it seem to dangerous to go out or because the road hasn't been ploughed and it's not feasible to get out.

This is a picture of our driveway in winter. I routinely clear that much snow so we can go to work.

Re: Snow etc
 

Pretty much what dbd33 said. We arrived in Ottawa in early November 2017 and as regards snow:

1. Up to you, but we opted to buy an AWD car (Nissan Murano) as our practical 'go anywhere' car AND made sure we had a second set of rims with winter tire (forget about 'all season' IMHO). You of course MUST use proper sub-zero screen wash and keep it topped up. They salt the roads all the time and you get a lot of salt and muck on your screen and car. Oh, and get yourself a kit for the car - first aid, collapsible snow shovel, blankets etc. Not critical if you are in the city, but stray outside that and it is a good idea!

2. Bought a snowblower for the drive. Some people here simply retain a snowblowing service who will do your drive every time there is an appreciable amount of snow for a price. Generally, the roads themselves will be snow-plowed, but your drive is your problem. Get some snow shovels for a light dusting and buy salt or grit for your own drive and pathway

3. Yep, people carry on as normal. Hunker down in a blizzard if they are smart and avoid going out in freezing rain!

4. Bigger problem than snow is freezing rain, which you can get when temps yo-yo between +2 and -7 etc. That stuff can be lethal, avoid going out on that for sure.

But in general, yes, the country is much better equipped and get on with it.

Re: Snow etc
 

Whose footprints?

Or was that as far as you could get and you walked the rest?

Re: Snow etc
 

That was as far as it went, after that it was Shanks' pony.

It was a rental Chevy. 4x4 but useless. I was going to dig it out but a passer-by in a Dodge (also a bit rubbish but on the tarmac) stopped and tugged it out.

I completely disagree, btw, that one should buy a 4x4 minivan. That's neither fish nor fowl, you can't use it in fields and it's not needed on roads. An ordinary FWD minivan also fits numerous kids and dogs and has fewer bits to go wrong.

Re: Snow etc
 

Thanks for the replies all. Nice to know that things generally carry on as normal over there, even with public transport.

Are employers somewhat more lenient in the snowy periods for people being late to work due to transport issues? Over here, my partners now been told not to come into work due to the snow, and to work from home instead. Most of the employees were an hour or 2 late coming in as well today.

When we do eventually go, we'll initially be relying on public transport for a good few months.

Re: Snow etc
 

Where (city, province) are you planning on living when you're "relying" on public transport?

Re: Snow etc
 

Depends on who the employer is ......

........ but basically the onus is on you to leave home early enough that you will not be too late for work.

Re: Snow etc
 

Similar to here then. Thanks for confirming. We weren't sure how things were done over there in relation to weather stuff.

All being well, Ontario. We aren't sure which part yet so more research to be done there.

Re: Snow etc
 

Most employers in my experience have been understanding, at least in Vancouver.

Last snow storm last week, my shift started at 12, I left at 10:30 to give myself extra time, I only live 14km from work, usually takes 30 mins, but I didn't get to work until 1pm due to the traffic and roads being closed.

Those who I work with who take the train were also late due to the train being down for a bit due to snow or ice on the tracks causing an issue.

Sometimes it's simply not avoidable being late when it snows, no way to predict if the trains will stop, or how late buses are running, or where accidents will shut down roads.

Re: Snow etc
 

That was some scary snow. ;)

Re: Snow etc
 

Big ranges in Ontario....basically south of hwy 401 west of about Kingston, snow is a pain for most people and they try and pretend it doesn't exist. North and east of that line, more people cross country ski, snowmobile, and try and acknowledge that winter exists. There is no requirement for winter tyres (or block heaters for that matter :thumbsup::thumbsup:) but I think areas like Windsor get about 100 cm/snow a winter and areas like Owen Sound get 300 + cm of snow.

In Quebec it is manadatory to have snow tyres from mid december to mid march.

In Ontario, I've never known a hire car to have them...just something to keep in mind.

As per other posts, freezing rain is the worst and serves no purpose.

This may help.

Province of Ontario Canada Annual City Climate Statistics, with Yearly Average Temperatures, & Rainfall for Ontario Cities

Re: Snow etc
 

It is possible to get a hire car with winter tyres. OH was sent to work 500km from home, his plan was to come back every weekend (so 1000 km per weekend round trip). I insisted that the car had to have winters and as he hired from them for 18 months they agreed. When the seasons changed he just switched cars rather than tyres, he got a different car the second winter so they must have had at least two equipped for winter driving.

Re: Snow etc
 

oops; typo fixed.

Re: Snow etc
 

Spoilsport. :lol:

Re: Snow etc
 

That sounds reasonable. I know that here in Ottawa on a regular hire car lot the cars have all seasons and most people hire for just a few days.

Last Christmas I had to special order a car in Nice with snow chains to head to the Alps. Luckily they never got out of the boot.

Re: Snow etc
 

That is not a problem at all within the bounds of the subway and the trams.

Re: Snow etc
 

Our rental car in North Carolina had Obtario plates and snow tires. In May.

I'm a bit puzzled by your geography and where snow tires are needed.

Re: Snow etc
 

Technically snow tyres aren't required in Ontario but I'm saying north of the 401 from about Windsor to Kingston they would be useful. I had a car in Toronto for about 8 years and never used snow tyres. I've lived in Ottawa a bit over 20 years and had them since we moved here.

SW Ontario, GTA and along the shorelines of Lake Erie and Ontario temps and snowfall don't tend to result in huge snowfalls. Downwind of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay and into the Kawarthas, Muskoka, Algonquin, eastern Ontario gets colder and snowier weather.

Re: Snow etc
 

Have been here over 10 years, and only missed one day of work, and I am late for work (2 hours late or more) several days each year. And then marginally late for work a few other days. I'm an old hand at this cold white stuff. ;)

Re: Snow etc
 

In my 10 years here in Canada, I can only think of one occasion where my employer sent a company wide email out to all staff informing them they could go home early because of the heavy snow. Even the Schools closed.

Re: Snow etc
 

Pretty sure freezing rain is more likely to cause closures. About 3 weeks ago I very nearly asked the wife to video me ice skating on our driveway, only thing that stopped me was that it was a solid sheet of frozen pellets, so the surface wasnt smooth enough for my liking!

Re: Snow etc
 

When I spoke to my potential boss about snow he simply said it's not an excuse over here to be late. The office is in the GTA, and I can understand the POV.
He did add that if it's really bad and you can't get in, then you work from home.

Which I am currently doing in the UK as the train I need to get into London has not run all week

Re: Snow etc
 

i work in downtown Toronto, i can think of one time in the last ten years that there was a "snow day" and that was when i worked in a school

generally public transit remains more reliable than driving.

we have some older people on our work force now who are not comfortable out in slippy conditions. working from home is accepted in these circumstances

we have snow tires on the car in the winter because we get an insurance discount, live in a condo so we pay about 50 bucks a year for the dealer to store our other tires

Re: Snow etc
 

If you're talking about white collar work then I think that's just an example of the managerial dishonesty that is typical of the Canadian workplace.

Most people will commute along a 400 series highway. The highways get backed up for hours when there's drizzle or worse and, once on one, there's little possibility of changing the route. The commuters have no choice but to be late. The boss will claim to be working offsite as if for an important and planned reason but, in truth, will have gone back to bed safe in the knowledge that the staff, especially the hourly paid staff, will have risked life and limb to get to work. The workers will be late but able to swipe the door card as proof of arrival.

It is true that workers who make a different judgment call than the boss and who don't turn up on the days when he or she does risk being offboarded but that's just politics and whim; almost everyone is late due to weather sometimes. I have a reputation for "always" getting to work and even I miss a day per winter.

On edit: just seen Zoe's. Agree about Toronto. Am speaking of Kitchener/Guelph/etc.

Re: Snow etc
 

Which is a problem when people rent there and then go to Quebec, which requires them.

It is possible to rent cars with winter tires, as my girlfriend did it in Edmonton a couple of times. But the companies usually only have a few cars that come with them.

Re: Snow etc
 

They are required on Quebec-registered cars. Slight difference.

The rule came in a few years ago. It didn't change much. Most people had them anyway.

Re: Snow etc
 

In BC, winter tires especially the ones with the snowflake and mountain symbol are required outside the Lower Mainland ............... there are signs on the mountain roads requiring the tires plus chains being carried.

That means that you really cannot get past the town of Hope north or east to the Interior of BC without having them. I believe they are also needed to get to Whistler along the Sea to Sky highway.

There are fines for not having the correct tires or chains in the car ......... we have been stopped in past years when going up the Fraser Canyon and again when intending to come south on the Coquihalla for a police check of tires and chains.

Even the police in Vancouver can get upset with you if you do not have at least All Season tires and get stuck

Re: Snow etc
 

True winter tires are not required anywhere in BC.

M+S all season tires with proper tread are acceptable as winter tires in BC but are not really winter tires.

Re: Snow etc
 

Those signs you see as you approach the BC interior highways are slightly misleading. Ideally you should have the mountain snow flake on the side wall, but legally, as long as they say M&S, they are 100% legal.

Living in Kamloops I always have the proper winter tire, I just couldn't get up the Kamloops hills in M&S tires.

https://yossilinks.com/wp-content/up...26-535x350.jpg

Re: Snow etc
 

As we have not left the immediate Vancouver area for 2 years, we have M&S tires.

If we had been going to drive anywhere east of Abbotsford, we would have had tires with mountain snow flake, and would have ensured there was plenty of tread on them. That's exactly what we did when we used to do that trip up to the north via the Fraser Canyon or Coquihalla. Plus OH also used to carry chains in the back of the car.

We actually were stopped on one occasion for tire check, and had to show the chains.

It is a little known fact that every road onto the UBC campus is a hill, and in the days when Vancouver used to get lots of snow (yes, it did happen!), we occasionally found that the only route open by the time OH was ready to leave was the road down to Spanish Banks .............. which was just incidentally the steepest hill. All other routes were blocked by the idiots with summer tires and a bag of sand in the trunk to provide weight .......... and had as a result slid sideways to block the road.

On more than one occasion, he had to put on the chains to get down to Spanish Banks ......... road not ploughed, of course!

The next problem was climbing the hilly streets from the Spanish Bank area to Broadway. I remember OH stopping our car just as he was about to turn onto one of those streets and sitting there watching a car sliding down sideways, between parked cars on either side of the road.

He decided that he wouldn't try that road!!

The police never closed those roads as they do the stretch of Oak Street from Broadway (9th Avenue) down to First ..... that's quite an exciting few blocks!