The Canadian Climate
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#1: The Canadian Climate Author: Gabrielle, Location: Near Paris, France PostPosted: Mon Sep 05, 2005 5:59 pm

I read the following in "Pat of Silver Bush" by LM Montgomery and I thought of EBD.
"You see, her husband's health is bad and he can't stand the Canadian climate."
It made me smile when I think of EBD shipping Josette and Margot off to Canada to make them strong. Laughing

Now who do I trust about the Canadian climate? EBD or LMM? I think I'll trust the one who was born there and died there. Very Happy

I am easily amused.

 

#2:  Author: Miriam, Location: Jerusalem, Israel PostPosted: Mon Sep 05, 2005 6:39 pm

I'll admit that I know practically nothing about Canada, but among my very small stock of information is the fact that it is a rather large country. Maybe they have different climates in different areas?

 

#3:  Author: claireM, Location: rotherham PostPosted: Mon Sep 05, 2005 6:57 pm

maybe different illnesses respond better to different climates - not that i know any about medicine/ health Confused

 

#4:  Author: Miriam, Location: Jerusalem, Israel PostPosted: Mon Sep 05, 2005 7:15 pm

This thread seems to be getting full of disclaimers - but maybe I am mistaken. Wink

 

#5:  Author: KB, Location: Melbourne, Australia PostPosted: Mon Sep 05, 2005 9:04 pm

Well, EBD says that Mrs Scott couldn't stand the air at the San in Switzerland after her attack by the Mau Mau, so maybe it's something of a similar nature.

 

#6:  Author: macyrose, Location: Great White North (Canada) PostPosted: Tue Sep 06, 2005 12:55 am

As a Canadian, I can say that Canada, being the second largest country in the world, has a variety of different climates depending on where you are. Montreal, where I grew up, has very cold winters and lots of snow (though these days I've heard there's less snow than there used to be when I was a child) and the summers can be very hot and humid. Toronto, where I'm now living, has milder winters (not quite as cold and less snow), and the summers are often hot and humid. A colleague of mine from Winnipeg says that the winters there are frigid and even worse than those in Montreal. I've only visited Vancouver once so I don't know much about the weather there but I've heard that the winters there are much milder than in the east and often rainy, and the summers, though they can be hot, are a dry heat. I hope that helps answer your question.

 

#7:  Author: Caroline, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Tue Sep 06, 2005 7:33 am

KB wrote:
Well, EBD says that Mrs Scott couldn't stand the air at the San in Switzerland after her attack by the Mau Mau, so maybe it's something of a similar nature.


I thought that was more to do with the altitude / lack of oxygen? Her having a weak heart after the attack and all...

As for Canada, there *are* bits that have that dry, bracing cold beloved by EBD as suitable for potential TB / delicate / bronchitis-y types, but they just don't happen to be the bits she actually chose. As I understand it, Toronto (apart from not being French speaking) has a rather damp, mild-ish climate (compared to other aprts of Canada) not unlike that of the UK....

 

#8:  Author: IAmZoe,  PostPosted: Tue Sep 06, 2005 7:57 am

where was LM Montgomery living? Wasn't she from PEI and then moved to Toronto? They both have very different climates - PEI is much colder. I lived in Canada for a while (Nova Scotia) and remember people laughing at Torontonians for making a fuss about the kind of snow and cold everyone else took for granted.

 

#9:  Author: Róisín, Location: Galway, Éire PostPosted: Tue Sep 06, 2005 9:22 am

I might be going to Vancouver soon - what's that like?

*shamelessly inserts personal agenda into thread*

 

#10:  Author: Alison H, Location: Manchester PostPosted: Tue Sep 06, 2005 10:42 am

Róisín wrote:
I might be going to Vancouver soon - what's that like?

*shamelessly inserts personal agenda into thread*


One of the nicest cities I've ever been to - it is absolutely lovely!

 

#11:  Author: Gabrielle, Location: Near Paris, France PostPosted: Tue Sep 06, 2005 4:12 pm

I probably should have added but didn't that the cities in question were Toronto and Montreal.
Embarassed

Toronto being where EBD sends Josette and Margot and also where LM Montgomery lived for her adult life. From what I know of the weather in Toronto it's hot in the summer and cold in the winter.

 

#12:  Author: jennifer, Location: Taiwan PostPosted: Tue Sep 06, 2005 7:51 pm

I have the advantage of having lived in most of the Canadian climate areas. Smile

The west coast weather has damp, cool winters, with the average temperature above freezing and lots of rain. Vancouver gets a metre, while the Queen Charlotte Islands get more than 4 m of rain a year! The summers are temperate, and when you get off of the very west coast, often quite sunny as well.

The Rockies have cold, very snowy winters, while the Okanogan valley (between the coastal mountains and the true rockies) also have hot, dry summers and are good for fruit and vinyards.

The praries have the 'dry bracing climate' beloved of EBD. They also happen to be *really really* cold in the winter. Power outlet by your car for the space heater to thaw your car engine in the morning so it will start cold. Summers are similarly hot and dry, with periodic thunderstorms, and tornados in some areas.

Toronto (and southern Ontario in general) have reasonably hot (typically in the 27-33 C range) and humid summers. It can get to 40, but very rarely does. The winters are variable. They tend to be damp (Toronto is on a large lake), and alternate snow, thaw, refreeze, freezing rain, really cold, thawing and mushy, raining snowing (you get the picture). You typically get a few weeks in January where it's down around -25, but the rest will give you daytime temperatures ranging from just above freezing to about -10. Other parts of Ontario (like Ottawa) are more consistantly cold and snowy in the winter, and tend to freeze in November and thaw in April.

I haven't lived on the East Coast, but I think they get temperate summers, and cold, snowy winters, and are also quite damp.

And of course, as you go north, it gets colder and the mosquitos and blackflies get bigger.

 

#13:  Author: jennifer, Location: Taiwan PostPosted: Tue Sep 06, 2005 8:02 pm

Róisín wrote:
I might be going to Vancouver soon - what's that like?

*shamelessly inserts personal agenda into thread*


Vancouver's a lovely city. It's great for outdoorsy type activities, and is very multicultural. For fun things I would recommend

Rollerblading around Stanley Park (you can rent the blades, and there's a no-motorised traffic path around the whole park, between the forest and the beach)

Granville Island - it's an eclectic marketplace with a good farmer's market. You can have lunch at the food court in the market, and eat out by the marina, watching the street performers.

Head down Robson street for shopping and restauraunts and see the corner with two Starbucks. Gastown is an interesting neighbourhood, and Chinatown is worth a visit as well.

There's great hiking within an easy drive of the city. If you have a car, the drive up to Whistler (known as the sea-to-sky highway) is beautiful. You used to be able to take a steam train for the trip, but I don't know if its still running.

If you're there for a while, you can take the ferry to Victoria, which is also a nice city to visit.

Weatherwise, if you're going soon, take sweaters and a waterproof jacket and shoes. It will be warm-cool during the day, and cool at night.

 

#14:  Author: Róisín, Location: Galway, Éire PostPosted: Tue Sep 06, 2005 8:28 pm

Thanks so much for that. The SLOC is going to have to relocate there for six months with his job and the company will pay for me too apparently. So I might go for the whole six, or maybe just three, or maybe just a series of extended visits; depends on when exactly he's going. Smile The place sounds fabulous though Cool

 

#15:  Author: joelle, Location: lancashire, england PostPosted: Tue Sep 06, 2005 11:13 pm

im goin to vancouver next year! just found out today and had to say something. sorry. Embarassed but still yeah!

 

#16:  Author: Chelsea, Location: Your Imagination PostPosted: Fri Sep 09, 2005 4:03 pm

IAmZoe wrote:
where was LM Montgomery living? Wasn't she from PEI and then moved to Toronto? They both have very different climates - PEI is much colder. I lived in Canada for a while (Nova Scotia) and remember people laughing at Torontonians for making a fuss about the kind of snow and cold everyone else took for granted.


My dad still laughs at the fact that the mayor (of Toronto) called in the Army a few years ago for a snow storm. A fairly big one, to be fair, but nothing that cities like Montreal and out East didn't see fairly routinely.

Toronto winters, though relatively mild, would be considered quite cold/snowy compared to much/most of the UK. Vancouver winters would come the closest to London winters (I think) - cool/coldish, wet, and often gray, but with little actual snow.

 

#17:  Author: jennifer, Location: Taiwan PostPosted: Sun Sep 11, 2005 1:11 am

Chelsea wrote:
My dad still laughs at the fact that the mayor (of Toronto) called in the Army a few years ago for a snow storm. A fairly big one, to be fair, but nothing that cities like Montreal and out East didn't see fairly routinely.


Will we never live that one down? Embarassed Admittedly, TO rarely gets more than about a foot at a time, and isn't really equipped for a metre of snow in one go, but the power was still on! You only need to call in the army if you're worried about people dying. I was glad that I flew back into town the day before the snow started, and avoided the seven hour waits for luggage at Pearson.

 

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