iwantwork

Myself, partner and 4 children are planning to visit Ontario in Feb. Could anyone give me advice on whether to take winter clothes from home (have been told is the layering thats important) or to buy Canadian coats/snowsuits etc when we arrive? What is the average temp in Ontario in Feb?
Thanks for your help

Mans

Hi,

I was there on a research trip last Jan/Feb. The pilot announced on the plane that totronto was -21 (wind chill -28). I therefore panicked a little on the plane as all I had was a t-shirt, jumper and woolen coat with gloves and a scarf.

However, having picked up the car at the airport I had to make a quick stop at the first shops.....SUNGLASSES as I could not see a thing as it was a very bright day with not a cloud in sight.

From my experience .... yes it was cold. However my t-shirt, jumper and coat was adequate......the worst bit is any expsoed parts....especialy your face if you are going to walk around for more than 5 mins it was tough!

In reality though it was not that bad either....most places have underground parking etc so you don not really have to walk around too much in Toronto area.

Oh....and jeans were bad...as made of cotton my legs were frozen...wollen trousers were not too bad though. Next day it snowed around 10 inces and dropped to around -10 which was not that bad...I felt worse once I got back to London's damp winter!!!

So all in all.....yes very cold....but a crisp bright cold .... and only bought sunglasses and a woolen hat......i did not feel it was necessary to purchase more for a short trip....might be a different story if I lived there or planned on going for many walks though.

HTH
Mans

dbd33

It's not the average temperature you have to worry about, but the extreme. Last February it got down to -7F on our patio. Allow for windchill and that's really quite chilly.

The February before last, Phil, a man I know slightly from the pub, slipped and fell outside his apartment building. It was late and he was drunk and he passed out. Someone found him two hours later and woke him up but it was too late. He lost three fingers to frostbite; a serious blow to a professional writer. Exposed flesh is not a good idea even here in the south of Ontario, bring gloves and balaclavas. I don't think you'll need particularly heavy coats, I wouldn't bother buying parkas and whatnot unless you're going up north, but I do think you need to cover as many bits as you can.

john fisher

We went to Ontario (Kingston) Feb this year. Buy long johns and vest, thermal underwear a real must, in England a lot cheaper. Boots I’d get from Canadian Tyre or Wall Mart over there, they do some good rubber boots with a felt inner liner. Gloves here and over there, you can’t have to many. Neck tubes from motorbike shops better than scarf’s. Hats that cover your ears.

We had temperatures of +2 to –20C but only felt cold at night when the sun went down.

Most of all enjoy the snow .

Happydayz

when we have been over in the winter before, we have been lucky enough to have my family lend us all the winter coats, they always say that our one wouldn't be warm enough, but that said, for just nipping in and out of the car , or going from shop to shop , I have always found my UK stuff fine, but if you planning on doing a bit of Snow Fun... rolling around in it, etc then I would say buy it there, snow pants from a place like wall-mart will cost very little compared to what you would pay over here, as really over here you would have to go and get Ski stuff , which will cost loads! hope that help, and enjoy your trip,
Jen

ginaf

Are you going to Canada? I ask because I grew up in Norton, Letchworth spent a lot of my youth in Baldock and have never seen anybody so close to where I lived. Hi, by the way!

Cowtown

Always make sure you make a recce trip to the city you're emigrating to - after spending a winter in Ontario, Calgary's -35C (-25F) was a surprise.

iaink

Just to add to what others have said, and your own comment about layering. Dont make the mistake of thinking that you will be OK going from heated house/hotel to heated car to heated Mall / Restaurant. Be prepared for if the car breaks down...have spare layers with you just in case...best case have an emergency kit with a candle, food and thermal blanket in the car...you almost certainly wont need it, but you will be glad (and alive) if you do.

The cold is easily managed here as the country is set up to deal with it, and with the right equipment an emergency can be dealt with without Drama too as long as you are prepared. Good Sunglasses were one of the first things I got too.

If you do need serious winter stuff, get it here, its much cheaper and selection will be wider than the UK.

Hard to give an average temp for Ontario, its huge, bigger than France and Spain together. Far North will be Arctic temps, and even Ottawa is significantly colder than Toronto as the lake moderates things a bit...Ottawa in Feb is fun, "Winterlude" is worth a visit, slkating on the Canal and fantastic snow and ice sculptures, and nice hot beaver tails

iwantwork

Thanks for all your help everyone

emma69

I am, as my mother would say, 'nesh', and I really feel the cold, but was surprised how well I coped the two February's I spent here. I have invested in a big, very warm ski-coat, that zips right up over the lower part of my face, and is double layered rather than one thick layer (traps warm air better). I bought ski trousers, but only wore them actually playing in the snow, no need for them day to day. A hat that covers your ears are a must, as are gloves - leather seem to be the best, and sunglasses as everything is so bright! I alos wear a fleece thingy that you can get in any ski-shop, to keep the wind off my face. Non-slip footwear is a must too - they are really good about clearing the paths, so I don't often trudge through mountains of snow in the city, but you do get icy patches. If you are moving out here permanantly, you may want to invest in some good quality stuff, but if budget doesn't allow, the department stores offer adequate clothing cheaper than you will find in the UK on the whole.

john fisher

Hi ginaf

Yes trying for Calgary. Bragg Creek I hope depends on the wife though.

Applied in November 04 under the skilled worker application.

Part of the reason for going out in Feb was to take my Journeyman certificates in Heavy Transport Equipment. I took them in Calgary (had to fly down from Ontario as we stayed with friends in Kingston) and passed must have been my lucky day. Had a job interview and got that as well , a very lucky day.

I live near the Engine and Old White Horse, which had its beer festival last bank holiday.

Are you going to Canada if so where

john fisher

Ski Pants are a must try TK Max in England.

We had a good days sking in a place called Calabogi and it was cheap £50 for two of us with an hours lesson.

Cowtown

And don't forget toques & gloves - you lose a lot of heat through your head and your fingers can get cold very quickly.

ksct97

don't have exposed flesh... the cold will really bite... and get a couple of pairs of gloves for the kids... you don't want to be losing one and going without!

have a blanket in the car at all times.

when it's seriously cold (-40C was as bad as it got here in montreal last winter, including wind chill), you just don't go out unless you have to, and then only stay out for the minimum amount of time.

Judy in Calgary

If the kids are young enough, you can use mitten clips to secure their gloves or mittens to their coat sleeves. That only works up to a certain age, however. Beyond that, mitten clips no longer are cool.