Still lots of steam left in winter.....!

So many times I think I'm going to stop talking about weather....and then something comes along, or someone asks me about the weather....and the topic keeps getting recycled, so let's continue to talk about the weather....Rochelle sent me a link from Huffingtonpost.ca, titled: A message to anyone complaining about snow in Toronto. The photos are from every part of Canada that has been affected by snow and there are some really incredible shots of snow depth that I can't even wrap my head around. I commented on the post with, "crazy shots, this is why I love Yellowknife more and more every day."

Not an hour later, someone at work asks me how I'm liking the weather here, also commenting on how I bundle up so that you can't barely make out who it is.....First I reassure her that back home I would have dressed similarly; perhaps not the head scarf all the time...but definitely I dress to cover almost every inch of body. I like to be warm - plain and simple! Then I tell her about the photos I had just seen from across Canada showing the massive snow accumulation - people running out of room to place their snow - sidewalk tunnels and train tunnels all made from snow. And I tell her that I'm so happy for the fact that I've not shovelled one teaspoon of snow this year; that the only part of snow removal I've contended with is that which accumulates on the car window - which effortlessly brushes away. She's taken back by my comment - probably never expecting someone to say Yellowknife is one of the best spots to live in winter - particularly since I've been told by other Yellowknifer's that we've actually received more snow this year than usual, and it's been colder to boot......go figure....here are some of my favourite photos.....

This is from Bruce County, Ontario.

Cape Breton

Orillia, Ontario - quite close to home

Windsor, Ontario

 

So what does one do when there is so much snow......well, the Trecan snow-melting machine inside the Barrie, Ontario operations yard has been hard at work melting tonnes and tonnes of snow. The machine melts 135 tonnes of snow per hour and empties it into local storm water facilities. Storing snow isn’t usually a problem for the city, but there’s been a lot this year. The city reports, “We probably have about 1,000 tri-axel truckloads of snow so it's anywhere from 15,000 to 20,000 cubic meters of snow. What makes the amount even more mind-boggling is the fact that there are thousands of tonnes more of snow at Barrie’s landfill where 10-to-12 trucks make 10-to-12 trips a day dumping snow on snow-clearing days. The cost of melting the snow is substantial, “the machine will go through about 5,000 litres of fuel in a shift,” he says. That contributes to a cost of more than $7,000 per shift, however that’s less expensive than trucking it elsewhere to stockpile.  (CTV newsreport - Feb 5, 2014)

To lay this issue to rest and to close out this missive, my last thoughts on the subject are as follows: 

I hope winter is not getting to you and that you are finding some ease with it somewhere, somehow. And as you’ve already heard me say, I’m so glad I’m not shovelling or clearing snow this year, what a relief. It’s just incredibly hard to imagine that I’ve come to the Canadian North to experience decent winter weather, where I don’t have to deal with inconsistent temperatures, continual snow fall, storms, melting snow, puddles, muck on the car, salt on my clothes etc. And, my apartment is toasty warm….go figure….even the office is warm….that is not something I ever experienced in Ontario – all workplaces combined…. (But yes, Carole and Christine, I still wear my sweaters and turtlenecks)!

No doubt about it, we’ve had an exceptional year and just like everyone else I’m really looking forward to spring – it may not be right around the corner for me here but each day it gets a little easier and the celebration of spring will be super sweet!