Yes…your first winter in Toronto is coming. The first dusting of snow has already fallen…and the temperatures are dipping.
Our relo-to clients new to winter ask me all the time what it’s like…and I wish I had an easy answer. Truthfully, this is a season I have a love/hate relationship with. Why? Because there isn’t one trick to prepare yourself for your first winter in Toronto and a climate that you may be unfamiliar with. It has a language all of it’s on (“wind chill” or “polar-vortex“), it turns weather forecasters into liars and you can tell a lot about how the day will unfold just by looking at the sky. These are things you will come to know.
Until that time, we welcome the perspective of our relo-to client, Yael. She arrived from Israel with her husband and 2 children and 2017/2018 was their first winter in Toronto. When she and I spoke recently, I asked her to recall her first impressions.and she didn’t mince her words when she used the word “trauma” to describe it. Today she is much better prepared and we’re happy to share her thoughts on this season with you, hoping you can learn a little from her experience!
- Have the right clothes. Yael was also clear that “you shouldn’t come and try and make your wardrobe from another country work here, because it won’t.” She recommends buying your winter clothes in Toronto so you get the very best selection
- “Boots are extremely important. Heat starts from the feet and last year I made a bad choice and was miserable. This year I am prepared with a new pair of Uggs!” Ultimately, she also feels like you don’t save any money if you’re being too price conscious. You may need to reinvest if your initial choices aren’t suited to the reality of the climate
- “Be prepared with activities if you have children”. Yael and her husband bought memberships for the Science Centre and the ROM – Royal Ontario Museum and stay close to what’s going on so they have options to get out of the house on the weekends
- “If you have children, give yourself an extra 30 minutes to get out of the house in the morning…shovelling out the car, wrapping kids in layers and snow-suits takes time. Otherwise you’ll be late.”
- “Plan ahead…like a long time ahead for bigger activities like skiing.” Yael is still getting used to the idea that certain activities require long-term planning as this wasn’t something she was used to. Things get booked up in advance
- “If you can afford to get-away somewhere warm over the winter, you should.”
- “Get your snow tires early and put them on before the rush begins.”
- “Don’t buy cheap salt if you’re a homeowner. It’s very destructive.”
- Finally…Yael said “When the snow has just fallen and it’s light and fluffy, it’s beautiful.” To that we add…grab your camera!
Most importantly…if you tackle even some of the above – you’ll actually be able to go out and ENJOY the winter in Toronto. Just for starters, Yael noticed quickly that everything has to do with snow and ice: skating, skiing, tobogganing, hiking, snow-shoeing, curling and of course, site-seeing on foot. You need the right clothes and gear to enjoy it!
Hope this helps you plan a little for YOUR first winter in TO! More to come on this topic in the coming weeks…stay tuned. If you have any of your own real life, “first winter in Toronto” tips, send us an email. We’ll add it to the list!