now that it's nearly over ( I live in hope ) for all of us who've made it thru their first without killing the snow plow driver who puts 2 foot of c**p at the bottom of the drive just after you've shovelled it out...............is there anything you'd do differently next year?
for myself, I'm getting one of those automatic starts on my car. going out at 6am in minus 20 isn't fun, especially as I'm half way to work before the heater kicks in
I also think I'll get some plastic and 'shrink wrap' all the windows

LOL... as a kid I had to shovel the damned driveway ... then the plough would go by and bury it again!

The key to survive winter in Canada is to embrace it.... take up skating, curling, skiing, etc....

... and although I hate to mention the topic, you should use an engine block heater (with timer) rather than letting your car run in the driveway to warm it up when it is really cold!!!! Forget about the automatic starter thing.

Nearly over? We should be so lucky......

Up til the end of Jan everyone here was saying 'oh, mild winter this year, no snow, global warming eh?' The Feb hit with 4 big storms one of which dumped 70cm!! of snow in 24hrs. Thats not to mention the 10cm overnight snowfalls that kinda go unremarked. So far we've had around 1.6m of snow all of which is still around. I'm going to post some pics - we have piles 10ft high at the side of the drive. Mind you we're lucky, having some land to put it all on. Visiting friends on a subdivision with less space - they have 12ft snowbanks/piles either side of their drive. Thats a long way to shovel snow up after the next fall. (Which by the way looks to be Thursday this week ). I think temps are slowly warming here but we're gonna have snow for a while.

This is actually my second Canadian winter but learning experiences so far are....

Get a good snow clearing guy. We have had to have a JCB in half a dozen times to clear the snow. He turns up early and does a good job. Costs $40 a time but easier than shovelling 100ft of drive!

The municpical plough driver is a b*******d when he winks as me as I stand resting on my shovel whilst he deposits another foot at the end of the drive. No actually snowclearing in our town is excellent. Roads are plowed promptly and well. They even came in with a front end loader on the weekend to push back the snow and widen the road.

Good snow plough contractor notwithstanding I am going to buy a snowblower next year to clear the bits they cant get too. Put it off because we have a gravel drive but turns out you can use a snowblower on a gravel drive with care. Try buying a snow blower at this time of year though - no chance, Home Depot have moved on too lawn mowers and BBQ's!

Snow tires are a must. Mrs AX's FWD car has them and is better in the snow than my jeep on all terrain tires. At least until it gets 10cm deep. The jeep is more fun though.

I need to put some kind of snow fence around the flue for the furnace in the basement. It keeps getting blocked by drifting and I have to get up in the night and shovel it out to restart the heating.

Mrs AX's obsession with ensuring the local wild bird population is adequately fed means having to wade through chest deep snow to refill the bird feeder. I'm going to have to relocate it somewhere nearer the house.

The cat gets cabin crazy as he hasnt really been allowed/wanted to go out for 2 weeks. He bolted out the door the other day and disappeared upto the tips of his ears in a drift. He wasnt impressed.....

Its easy to become an obssessive watcher of the weather channel. When than nice chap on in the evenings, Chris wossisname, points to a low pressure system zooming up the Eastern seaboard and says something along the lines of 'if the track goes a little to the west then watch out St John's' its usually time to take cover.......

Finally, those folks in Ontario or Alberta who have these dreadful 10cm snowstorms to contend with that shut the world down....you dont know you're born!


AX

I couldnt have put it better myself!! oh and layer, layer, and more layering!

STAY INDOORS LOL, if you live and work in Toronto this is feasible, for example, go to work, walk from apartment building directly into subway and get off subway underground and walk directly underground to office simple lol

and layer layer and layer lol

^^^ Oh don't be such a chicken!

Try ice fishing or some other winter activity. A lot of you would probably enjoy the social activities of curling or skating - at least give them a try. Otherwise, winter in Canada will be too cold and too long.

Consider that by Sept-Oct., millions of Canadians can't wait to get back into these winter activities - hockey is another example.

<He typed. From Mexico.>

HMMM YEA i didnt notice that either lol hmmm its so cold down there isnt it lol

Layering = good advice

Stay indoors = return to UK in five years or less as you will go nuts and start to resent the winter. Get out there, embrace it, it can be beautiful (on the right day!)

I can watch hockey, skiing and curling on TV from Mexico. Come autumn, I can't wait to pick my tangeloes and grapefruit.

I'm guessing you go ice fishing in the pool? Or is that just fishing the ice out of your Margarita?

In Mexico, surviving the winter presents its own challenges. I embrace deep-sea fishing, citriculture and laying on the beach.... life has its challenges no matter where you go!

Shouldn't you be out shovelling the snow or falling on your bum as you try to skate about?

We went riding yesterday in a couple of feet of snow. That's enough embracing of winter for this week.

Stuff the old adage of layer layer layer...

It’s seriously out of date given today’s modern fabrics

Don't get me wrong it works... but it is a pain in arse taking the layers on and off

Buy good clothing designed to do the job and you won't have an issue.

I wear a shirt and fleece/pullover with a suitable over jacket all winter..
Quilted down jacket for the cold days -10 or lower
Gore-Tex for anything warmer

And for those that really feel the cold try one of these http://www.canada-goose.com/products.html you’ll never be cold again…