My block heater wasn't working when I bought it, used.

Fortunately, the 6.2L diesel engine it was fitted to formed part of a much larger device called a 'Chevrolet Suburban' - which I was able to use to come back to Mexico, thus eliminating the need for said block heater to work at all.

I bought a block heater cable on the way into work this morning. Unfortunately all the spaces with power sockets were already taken and probably about half were using the block heaters.

Definitely block heater weather this morning minus 26C with wind chill minus 36C. The plug ins at work better be ****ing working as I dont fancy leaving my vehicle for 12 hours in those temps then getting back to it and it wont start and nobody around with booster cables.

That means you can change your profile to "somewhere in the Prairies" then cos you sure as hell aren't east of ON.

FWIW your vehicle doesnt care what the wind chill factor is.

I think it's -30C now, -34C max tomorrow (-44C with wind chill) before settling down to -20C to -25C daily max to the end of the week.

A remote start - now I wonder?

At the weekend I went into Rona to buy something - I wasn't in for a long time but it always takes 10 mins or so. When I went in the pick up parked next to me was idling with no one inside. When I left the pick up was still empty and idling.

The block heater may not care about the windchill, but the owner probably does as it was damn cold going from the house to the car this morning!

Some places have no idling laws, although i only know of one city / town near here that has that.