jumomo

Plz don't think of this as a stupid question.which part of Ontario has the (easiest winters)i heard Hamilton ,is that correct? Thanks to you all.

dbd33

Depends which feature of winter you want to avoid, Hamilton has lake effect snow and that means shovelling. I think the least horrible spot in Ontario in winter might be central Toronto, lots of concrete radiating heat and tunnels meaning little need to go outdoors. Aflluent Canadians go to Florida or Arizona or Texas for the winter, that's the best way to deal with it.

MarylandNed

The winds are predominantly from the north-west so Hamilton and Toronto don't actually get as much lake-effect snow as other places. The wind out of the north-west hits Hamilton and Toronto before moving over Lake Ontario.

iaink

Niagara has the warmest winters, but its further from the few decent ski areas.

My personal tip for winter sanity is to take up skiing or skating. Having taken up skiing in my late 30s when my kids were little I now actively look forward to winter.

Even the mildest Ontario winter will drive you nuts after a while if you cant find some way to either embrace it, or bugger off south for a couple of months.

Simon Legree

Or bugger off for the maximum 182 days ! Works like a charm !

MarylandNed

Just out of interest, how do you manage that? Are you retired and just go live in a property you own in the US for the max time allowed?

BristolUK

I don't like the way it drags on - especially when come April it's very nearly gone and then there's another storm or two to replace it.

It's also a pain when there's been so much snow there's nowhere to put it when shoveling.

But I don't embrace it nor fly south. It just happens and life goes on. Perhaps having the wife and kids who lived with it all their lives and longer than I have, just makes me feel blasé about it too.

iaink

Thats where skiing distorts your perspective. No place to put the shoveled snow means its going to be a good skiing day coming up, and skiing at march break is always nice.

Simon Legree

That's it basically. I'm a layabout and I leave here around the last week of October and go to my place in AZ until the beginning of April when I trek back here to complete my income tax and whinge about the lousy spring weather. The Snowbirds Assn is lobbying to get the 182 day visa allowance extended to seven months. That would be good, especially if the Provincial Government will extend the time for being out of province to seven months with jeopardizing our health care here.

orly

Why would you want an easy winter? The UK exists for that.

What you want is a harsh unforgiving winter with a dozen feet of snow and ice storms.

MarylandNed

Good for you. That's basically my long term plan at the moment. Live part of the year in Canada and part in the US....with maybe a little jaunt to the Caribbean or Mexico or Europe thrown in to keep things fresh. Only minor detail is financing it.

What happens to your place in AZ when you're not there? Do you rent it out?

iaink

That has already happened in Ontario and I think BC and Manitoba too.

MarylandNed

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/publi...ip/travel.aspx

How long can I be absent from Canada and still maintain my OHIP coverage?

You may be temporarily outside of Canada for a total of 212 days in any 12 month period and still maintain your OHIP coverage as long as your primary place of residence is still in Ontario.

Steve_P

Give that man a prize.

According to the Weather Winners site St. Catharines (Niagara region) has the mildest Ontario winters followed by Windsor.

St Catharines stats: http://stcatharines.weatherstats.ca/winners.html?4

Windsor Stats: http://windsor.weatherstats.ca/winners.html?4

Plus neither one gets a whole lot of snow only about 130cms

Click on any city in the right hand column to see how they fair.

Simon Legree

No, I don't rent it. I "summerize" it, sort of opposite of winterizing a cottage, turn off the water, lock it up and leave. My neighbor and friend, who lives there all year, parks one of his vehicles there and checks the place every couple of days. It's a gated community so that helps too. Haven't had any problems in 12 years touch wood.