Keeping Warm in the Cold

By Katie Dolan, McGill University, Canada

After a few months of only seeing minus numbers on the weather app, I am finally beginning to defrost, and now I can safely say that I have survived my first Canadian winter!

If you take anything away from this, the most important tip I have in dealing with temperatures like -20 degrees is to face it and enjoy it. I know that sounds a little crazy, but I truly mean it. Whether that involves actually spending time outside or embracing alternative options like joining an indoor sports team, it is the best way to stay surrounded by friends and avoid feeling isolated and locked inside.

Don’t Lose the Novelty

I remember the first snowfall I experienced in Montreal back in November. I was sitting in Schulich Library with my friend when it began snowing outside, and we went straight out, excited to experience our first Canadian snowfall. By that very evening, the novelty had begun to wear off, and by the end of the week, the snow had somehow become the new norm.

So, my first piece of advice is that although the cold and snow can quickly be viewed as an inconvenience, you have to stay impressed by it. The snow around the city and campus truly is a beautiful sight when you allow it to be. Luckily, Christmas was coming soon, which made the snow and cold weather even more charming.

Enjoying Outside

On the rare occurrence that I wasn’t working endlessly in the library, I found some ways to embrace and enjoy the cold weather.

Going on Trips/Cabin Getaway

In December, I took a trip to Quebec City with two of my friends, and it was honestly something straight out of a Disney movie. We saw the snow-covered city, which was incredible, we went tobogganing (like sledging), and saw Montmorency waterfall completing frozen over, which was amazing (even though our toes were numb). We stayed in a warm, cosy cabin, made cinnamon rolls, and watched Christmas movies.

Winter Sports: Skiing

Making the most of winter sports is one of the easiest ways to enjoy Canada in the winter and trust me you don’t need to be a pro-skier or hybrid athlete for this to be true. Having been skiing only once in my life before, where I quite literally knocked the instructor over on several occasions, I can honestly say going skiing in Canada will be one of the highlights of my year abroad.

We went to Mont-Tremblant for the day on one of McGill’s SSMU Ski trips. The day we went, it was literally -20 degrees outside and the feeling in my hands when I took my ski gloves off was genuinely indescribable. And yet, I would do it all over again tomorrow. The scenery was so incredibly beautiful, it was actually distracting me from concentrating which I very much needed to be doing!

Winter Sports: Ice Skating

This one might seem like a bit of a joke, but I am very serious. Never in my life did I think I would find myself owning a pair of ice skates, but here we are. I have found that this is such a fun activity to do with friends once you get the hang of it, especially because I live so close to an ice rink. I bought a pair of ice skates in December for around $60, which was totally worth it. I have used them so many times, and I even took them to Ottawa with me, where we went skating on the world’s largest naturally frozen outdoor ice rink, the Rideau Canal Skateway. Although a tip, don’t also try to take your ice skates into Ottawa’s high-security, governmental buildings!

Igloofest

Another Montreal must-do is to go to Igloofest which is a massive outdoor music festival in Old Port. It is on mainly during January and a bit of February, and this year it was headlined by DJ Snake. The tickets can be a little pricey, but if you can go, it is definitely worth the experience. But I would advise to wrap up warm!  Right when you think you have enough layers on, add another one – and bring some finger and toe warmers also, and maybe an extra shot at pres for tactical purposes!

Indoor Activities

My next piece of advice is to get great creative with indoor activities.

Themed Dinner nights

Themed dinners became a staple during the winter months. My favourite dinner night was in December before we all went home for Christmas break. We celebrated together and cooked a delicious Christmas dinner, which is one of my favourite memories from the year and then ended the night playing lots of games while in a food coma.

I also loved our pizza-making night, where people brought different toppings, desserts, and wines!

And of course, one of my favourites was also our Italian-themed night with macaroni, meatballs, tiramisu, and wines!

Movie Nights

I am very lucky that I not only get on well with my flatmates, but they have become some of my best friends. Every night is a movie night, which has made the winter months that much easier. The 20 seasons of Greys Anatomy has proven to be quite the challenge, but we’ve been giving it our best shot!

Alternatively, the cinema in downtown Montreal does $5 tickets on a Tuesday which is a fun and budget-friendly activity to do. I have also found that it is a nice mid-week activity to look forward to and breaks up the uni week!

Joining a Sports Team

Having been part of a flag football team in semester one, I decided to set up a dodgeball team for semester 2. You’d think the lack of skill I had at flag football should have put me off this idea, but it did not! I wouldn’t say that I was much more skilled at dodgeball, and I fear my future career in the sport is quite limited, but it was a very fun experience and an interesting way to socialise in the colder months!

Wrapping Up

In all seriousness, the cold here really can be a challenge if you let it. You do have to be prepared to change your lifestyle a little, even if that means going for more indoor treadmill runs rather than running outside, or having to wear some not-so-overly-stylish winter boots for 3 months. But it is more than manageable, and with the right coat, gloves, and socks, it’s nothing that can’t be handled.

As cringe as it sounds, it really is the people that I surrounded myself with that made these cold months so warm, and I feel very lucky to have found such great friends who have made this possible.

The pubs also tend to be a good way of staying warm at the weekends!