Fighting winter cold weather

“Oh! Snow -30degree! … How am I going to live in this cold country? “

That’s what I sad to myself before coming. I even chose to start my life in Canada in the summer to delay the winter time as much as I can!

Winter is not easy but with good preparation and tools you can fight the bad weather here.
You may not also need all these things below. It depends.

Winter tools

Ski pant

The ski pant is a double layer thick pant. You put the first layer of it inside your boot so you

know that you are protected from snow and water. I got mine for 45 CAD from L’aubainerie

Warm Pant

Use it as an internal layer when it is really cold very very -20/-30. By the warm pant, I mean the pants of 65%polyester 35 cotton or something like that. I bought mine from L’aubainerie. Make sure there is a cotton % in it because when you sweat the cotton will help.

For women who are used to put only skirts or long dresses.

There is no way. You need pants in winter. But don’t panic. What to do is to put a pant and long coat on it. It will act like a dress and you will keep your modesty…

In case that you work, then keep 2-3 skirts work and when you reach work, change the pant to skirt during working hours. When you leave work get back you pant.

Winter boot

You get a BOOT for winter not a shoes.

Couger, pajar, Blondo, Ugg, Toe Warmers, Ecco are the famous brands that have good winter boots.

Take a look online before you go to buy to know.

http://www.walkingonacloud.com This website has most of the brands and you can see the different kind of shoes.

Not all brands and stores are offering winter shoes. For example I didn’t find winter boots in “Spring shoes” , “Aldo” “Yellow” stores

Get a boot with waterproof material outside and make sure that inside it is covered by real sheep or cougar materials to make you warm.

Make sure that the boot is flat and not heavy so that u can walk for distances without feeling tiered

Why waterproof? Because the weather here is unstable. You may find it today full with snow and tomorrow the sun comes , the snow become splash and if your shoes is not water protected it won’t live for long time in good shape or will smell very bad after sometime.

Such shoes will vary from $100CAD to $400CAD. Try to buy it in the discounts in the period after Dec 26^th to end of feb. You will find good shoes with good prices.

Don’t feel sad if you don’t find your size in the sales. If you don’t find in the mall go to small stores. I bought mine after long search in malls from saint hubert/Belanger intersection t- Montreal.

It was a store beside “Reitmans” but finally I didn’t wear it. I found it too heavy. I am not sure yet what I am going to do next winter…

In work you don’t have to put these shoes. Try to keep walking shoes in work so that you can change it inside.

Ski mask

One cold day I found a guy working in the parking wearing it. I asked him he said that’s a “ski mask” and you can get it from walmart http://www.walmart.ca .

Gloves

Take care it is not a normal gloves that can stand up to -25degree. Till now I didn’t get the best gloves but a friend told me to get thermal gloves for winter. My brother told me that there are sheepskin gloves, very light and very warm. I didn’t try searching for any. If you know please let me know.

Coat

Try to get a long coat that cover the knees. I heard about this brand that they have the best kind of coats http://www.kanuk.com but I found it too expensive. They have sale in mid of Feb.I have a long 100% polyester coat (a bit thick) and I put multi layers under it in the -20s days.

What to wear when?

You need GOOD protection; snow pant, warm long coat, wool plover, shoes, ski mask and socks.

Up to -8 degree I put only the snow pant, warm long coat on my clothes, winter shoes

Below -15 degree I put the snow pant and a warm pant under it, wool plover on my clothes then warm long coat, winter shoes, ski mask, gloves and wool socks.

What to wear in work

The problem is only when you are outside. Inside it is always warm so what I do is that I put normal clothes inside.

When the temperature is -8 and up, I put demi-season clothes and when it is less than -8 I put winter plover.

General -Tips

Don’t choose winter to be your start period in Canada,
You are an immigrant so everything is new to you and you need to get adapted to everything so make it easy on you. Come in the spring or summer time May, June or end of April. Canada is snowy and windy in winter and cold in fall so this needs a separate kind of adaptation from you. Summer is easy, has lots of activities and things and more cheerful.

Bring a blanket with you
Bringing a blanket from your country could be a good idea because I found them expensive in Canada.;-)

Check the weather before you leave home- especially in winter
Open http://www.weathernetwork.com morning before you leave and in your work break if you plan to go outside the building.