Myths and Questionable Truths about Canadian Winters

Myths abound about Canadian winters. Sometimes it's hard to know what to believe!

One Mexican lady - a university chemistry professor in her own country - laughingly told me that she had been fearful about doing her sabbatical year in Canada. People had warned her that Canadian winters were so cold that people's noses and fingers fell off! When she arrived, she anxiously looked around to see what percentage of the population were missing noses. She was literally shocked not to find any!

Tell this story to immigrants from India, Africa or the Far East, and they nod. Yes, they had been told that too before coming to Canada.

So why did you come? I asked.

We were also told that the streets were paved with gold! one lady from Afghanistan replied with a smile.

A man from New Brunswick told me that when he was a child, snow was occasionally so high that it blocked the door of the house. He then had to leave for school through an upstairs bedroom window, then slide off the roof of the porch to the ground.

I found that hard to believe.

You were smaller then. I told him, You probably just thought the snow was that high.

No, he was probably telling the truth, a teacher from New Brunswick assured me. I remember winters when overnight the snow blocked the doorway and no one could get out.

One time, when the dog wanted to go out, we had to lift him up almost to the top of the door frame, where a foot of clear space remained.

Now, I've never spent winter in New Brunswick, but I find all that hard to believe!