We live in Canada, deal with it

By Shaun Garrity

Winter has ended and spring has officially begun. However, temperatures are lower than normal and every Facebook status in North America uses graphic words to voice their opinion on the woman they call Mother Nature. Windsor, the most southerly city in the country, has been blasted with inch after inch of snow just like everyone else in the nation.

Windsorites shoveling snow are wishing they had put a snow blower on Santa’s Christmas list. Record snow falls all across Canada have had snow plows and salters out on 18 hour shifts for five straight months.

People have come up with excuses for the climate with such chitchat words; maybe the weather today is an “Alberta Clipper.” The two phrases that make me laugh hysterically are the “Manitoba Mauler” and the “Saskatchewan Screamer.” Really? Those have to be the most outlandish words used to describe cold fronts. We are Canadian, and compared to other nations, we are commonly known for harsh winter.

There is no need to invent a new form of language to portray winter. A typical stereotype of a Canadian is that we play hockey and live in igloos. We are hardy Canucks. If it is -20 degrees put on those long johns, make a hot chocolate and go about your day. To get warm, it takes only two feet and a heartbeat. Turn your negatives to positives, make the best of it and go to your local tobogganing hill. Make a snow angel.

From 1812-1814, a series of prehistoric volcanoes erupted in the Caribbean, Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines. The catastrophic disasters sent a substantial amount of dust particles through the atmosphere. The massive volcanic eruptions caused the Earth’s average surface temperatures to drop 1 degree, climate changed dramatically everywhere including North America.

The cold was caused by less sunlight passing through the stratosphere due to the dust from the volcanoes. Several people died from starvation because there were no available crops. It would later be called the “Summer that Never Was.”

Do you hear the people from Eureka, Nunvut bawling their eyes out when temperatures reach negative 51? No, that’s just not going to happen. They provide for their families and live another day. What is bellyaching that you should be seeing butterflies and flowers rather than snow and icicles going to do? It is going to do zilch. Winter does not have a conscience.

We as citizens of Windsor are fortunate to be southern, and not geographically close to the Northern provinces like Nunavut. Windsor’s warm season lasts from May 27 to September 18 with an average daily high temperature above 22 Celsius. The cold is in our DNA, we are genetically wired for the forces of long winters.

Mayor Eddie Francis is resigning in December and maybe before he does we should all park in front of his South Windsor home and demand a change in the weather. Please, before you decide to scrutinize the weather remember that Canadian culture revolves around bleak weather conditions. So suck it up and stop crying. This is the home of the Maple Leaf, home of the cold, Welcome to Canada.