I am often accused of twisted thinking when I voice this inner paradigm, and am therefore going to use this space to convert you to a liberated view of our Saskatchewan winters!

Awakening early to an announcement on my radio alarm that the temperature is forecast to stay below -30C for the next week is for me, the equivalent of consuming my favourite comfort food.

As an aside, I seldom step away from posting business content. However, this is the fifth  anniversary of the launch of The Saskatchewan Edge and therefore I feel justified straying from the norm. Looking back on those first posts, it seems like only a couple of years since they were written.

Saskatchewan-born

Having lived in this province all my life, I look forward to every change in seasons.

Whether it was playing shinny on the school rink or, as a paperboy, delivering the daily Saskatoon StarPhoenix, there were things that needed to be done regardless of the temperature outside.

I can say with certainty that I would not be happy living in a constant climate that felt like summer year around. I know, I can hear the groans . . . have experienced them many times!

All right, I’ve not yet sold you. How about this next argument?

Cold kills the ticks, builds heart

There is some evidence to show that extreme cold will kill off these most objectionable creatures.

Ticks are small arachnids. You’d have to agree with me on this point, that a few days of frigid temperatures is worth the price to potentially reduce the populace of blood-sucking spiders!

We in this province are a hearty lot!

Try finding a parking spot in downtown Saskatoon mid-evening in January when it’s -30C. You’ll likely have to drive around the block more than once because the restaurants and theatres are full.

The cold weather does not slow us down; in fact, it’s one reason we’ve developed a tremendous work ethic. That work ethic has evolved as a result of the stamina required to press forward despite adversity.

Natural to hibernate

There is a bit of introvert in me that likes to curl up on my own, with a good book in a comfy chair on a dark cold winter night. Can’t tell you what makes it better when it’s very cold, but it just is!

I have a theory that you’re not allowed to complain about being cold in the winter unless you’re wearing long underwear. It is the secret element that is guaranteed to make all the difference in your enjoyment of the coldest days on the calendar.

A couple of years ago, I was at a fast food drive-thru window on one of those -35C days.

A young fellow who I suspect had recently immigrated from a Caribbean country reached out the window with my order; visibly distressed due to the cold.

I leaned out my window and whispered, “long underwear.” He looked at me with a puzzled expression. I repeated “long underwear is our secret.” He broke into a huge smile as if the most important mystery of our country had just been revealed to him!

It could be that unconsciously I decided a long time ago to embrace it enthusiastically rather than fight it.

Can’t say for sure how I came to view our coldest winter weather this way, but I nonetheless feel very fortunate to have been raised in one of the greatest places on the planet, this place that I’m proud to call home!