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When I told people I planned to move to Toronto in January, the usual response was shock, followed by sympathy.
“Won’t it be freezing?” was the question I’d come to expect from my fellow Brits.
I knew the weather would be a challenge, but I was feeling prepared. I’d Googled ‘how cold is Toronto’ more times than I care to admit, and watched hundreds of TikToks about life in the city.
I already knew I’d invest in an Aritzia Super Puff, and I’d stocked up on industrial-strength lip balm and fleece-lined clothing. What more could I possibly need?
But soon after my plane landed at Pearson Airport on one of the many snowy days in January, I realized that being ‘winter-ready’ and being ‘Toronto winter-ready’ are two very different things.
Static hair is inescapable
Static hair is a daily occurence.
Ellie Hutchings | Narcity
I was prepared for the drier, colder air to leave me with chapped lips and cracked hands, and had crammed several tubes of my favourite moisturizer into an already overweight suitcase.
No one had prepared me for what the weather would do to my hair, though!
Every time I step outside, it turns into a frizzy mess that clings to my cheeks and gets stuck in my coat zip.
My hair is already on the dry side, and it’s very fine, so I’m particularly prone to static — even after slathering oil on it after every wash.
I’m yet to find a solution to this particular problem, so I guess I’m going to continue looking like I’ve been electrocuted until winter ends.
Sidewalks turn into single-file lanes
The snow makes sidewalks narrower.
Ellie Hutchings | Narcity
The Toronto snow-clearing is undeniably efficient. I once arrived home in the small hours, just as snow was starting to stick to the sidewalks, but by the time I woke up at 8 a.m. the next day, a path had been cleared.
I just wish it were a couple of inches wider.
With the snowbanks piled up on either side, I find myself constantly hopping out of oncoming pedestrians’ way, because there’s only ever room for one person to walk along the sliver of cleared space.
Walking anywhere takes twice as long
Slush covers the roads and sidewalks.
Ellie Hutchings | Narcity
Yet another unforeseen impact of the weather is the time it takes to get anywhere after a few inches of snowfall.
With hundreds of people trampling over it, the once beautiful snow quickly turns into a gross, grey mush, and gently picking over it takes twice as long as strolling along a clear sidewalk.
Then there’s also the black ice — usually the product of rainfall or the snow beginning to melt.
On particularly icy days, I walk at a snail’s pace, keenly aware that one wrong step could knock me to the ground in front of a bunch of strangers (yes, that has happened… Twice).
The ‘feels like’’temperature is crucial
In the UK, we had a colder-than-average start to January, with temperatures hovering around freezing.
Back then, I was obsessively checking the weather forecast in Toronto, and was surprised to find that on several days it was warmer over here than at home.
Then I arrived, though, and experienced the wind chill that can make a 2 C day feel like -8 C.
I learnt my lesson pretty quickly, after a bone-chilling walk back from the bar one evening, where it honestly felt like the wind had burned a hole straight through my coat.
Fashion goes out the window
A winter coat becomes a daily uniform.
Ellie Hutchings | Narcity
Personally, I’m a lover of winter fashion. Chunky knits, colourful scarves and wool coats are staples in my wardrobe, so I was excited to embrace my new Toronto style.
But on those days when temperatures plunged to -20 C, fashion was the last thing on my mind.
Bundled in a mishmash of layers, topped off with the black puffer coat that I’ve worn every single day since I arrived, all I cared about was not getting frostbite.
Maybe in April I’ll become a fashion girly, but for now I’m sticking to thermals under everything.
There’s so much to do, even in the cold
There are lots of free things to do in Toronto.
Ellie Hutchings | Narcity
On a more positive note, Toronto has left me seriously impressed with its selection of free or cheap activities, even during the worst of the weather.
In a park near my apartment, there’s a free ice skating trail and, after nabbing some skates for just $25 at a thrift store, I’ve spent countless lunchbreaks wobbling around the rink.
There are also the museums, several of which I’ve visited for free thanks to my library card. I can spend hours marvelling at artworks and artifacts as the wind whips up a chill outside.
Plus, I love a museum cafe. They’re the perfect cozy spots for warming up with a hot chocolate before heading back out into the cold.
The cold isn’t actually that bad
Ok, I know I’ve complained a lot about the weather. But honestly, the sub-zero temperatures haven’t been as challenging as I was expecting.
Once I’d gotten the hang of checking the feels like temperature and strategic layering, I’ve honestly not been too cold.
It’s true that UK-made coats just won’t cut it in Toronto weather, but the gear I’ve bought over here is made of much stronger stuff and has kept me protected from the wind and the snow for the most part.
I was expecting to spend every day for the first few months stuck inside, or using the Path and the subway at every opportunity.
Instead, I’ve been ice skating, walked along the beach, and even got out on a few runs — all in temperatures that the UK couldn’t even imagine.
And if my biggest complaints after moving 3,000 miles away are about sidewalks and winter outfits, I’d say Toronto is treating me pretty well.
The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
