Harshness of Canadian Winter
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(Originally translated and published in Across the Lens Issue 6)
Regardless of how beautiful or fun Canadian winters may be, it also can be harsh. For those who have settled, this harshness may be overcome with clothing, a car, or better planning. However, for newcomers to Canada, the first couple of winters can really be a challenge.
The stories below are told by Chinese immigrants as well as those from other parts of the world. If common hardships bring people together, then the Canadian winter is certainly a shared experience among many first generation immigrants.
Staying Outdoor
Whether a household owns a car or not, there are situations when one needs to take the bus or walk.
Clarecia Christie, an immigrant from Jamaica, describes seeing her reflection while walking wrapped head to toe in winter clothing, “…I couldn’t recognize myself. Because all I saw was just my eyes”.
While walking or outdoor sport may keep the body warm, a person generates little heat when standing still, such as when waiting in the cold for a bus that never seem to arrive. The author remembers his school days, when he realized it was warmer to walk 30 minutes home, then to stand and wait 30 minutes for the bus.
Ms. Lam recounted an extreme experience during her university days of waiting for a bus in Winnipeg. Sitting in the icy booth for what felt to be an hour, she was unable to stand when the bus arrived. Luckily, the bus driver came over to give her a hand.
Though everyone’s sensitivity to the cold is different, new immigrants do have a tendency to overdress because -10 or -30 degrees are simply abstract and scary numbers. Newcomers from Hong Kong probably remember the shop羽絨城, popular for their collection of winter coat. However, without personal experience of the Canadian winter, many people only found out later that the winter coat they bought is not warm enough.
Italian immigrant Maria Rosario Pagano had a similar realization when she settled in Montreal, “Having been used to a mild climate, the winter clothes that we brought did not keep us very warm”. It is usually after a couple of winters when people begin to understand how to interpret weather forecasts, the function of different winter clothing, and how to plan their time outside.
Snow Shovelling
Snow shovelling is another reality of winter. Christy, her husband and infant daughter, who moved to Toronto in 2018, learnt about snow shovelling as many others do: through trial and error.
“We were living in the basement of a family friend, and they had a large driveway that took an hour to shovel. It was hard work. Once, we cleared the driveway and felt pretty good about it. But the next morning, it was covered in snow again. We felt very discouraged, as if our efforts the night before were undone”.
Slowly, they also learnt about different kinds of snow and when to shovel. “Fresh snow is actually not difficult to shovel, because it is fluffy. But once we waited too long, and it became frozen. And that is the dilemma, either you shovel in the dark and freezing morning, or wait for a warm sun that actually harden the snow”.
Keeping Healthy
A consequence to being unprepared for winter, is getting sick. In addition to a new climate, and possibly new forms of virus and bacteria, newcomers also need to rebuild a healthy lifestyle and a network that supports it.
In a familiar neighbourhood, we know where to buy and what food to cook to make us feel good. When we feel sick, we may have relatives and friends who can help us while we recover, and we may know which medicine to take if needed. And when we do see a doctor, we probably know how to communicate with them.
However, for Christy’s family, like other new immigrants who were unprepared for their first winter, they fell sick and did not fully recover over the winter. It was through weeks of booking and waiting, and finally with the help of friends, that they slowly navigated how to get well and stay healthy.
Surviving the winter together
The past winter has been especially difficult due to social isolation. In the absence of physical assistance, social media and networks have become indispensible for new immigrants to get information and advice on settling in Canada. Equally important to practical advice is the opportunity to converse with others who have or are going through the same challenges.
Perhaps it is the common challenges and perseverance, that draw new immigrants together. Having survived and adapted to the Canadian winter, earlier immigrants are often eager to support new arrivals with both advice and practical assistance. And as the new arrivals settle and step forth in a new life, they pass on their experience and help; a cycle that continues from people to people, season to season.
Acknowledge: Thank you for the stories contributed. The story of Clarecia Christie and Maria Rosario Pagano from website of Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. https://pier21.ca
