Grey Highlands residents celebrate snow
City folks loath it
There is a dramatic difference between how people from Toronto interact with snow, and Grey Highlands residents do. With an annual snowfall of approximately 330 centimeters, Grey Highland residents celebrate and prepare for snow days. Toronto residents practically fall apart on the first hint of snow. For good reason too, any snow is going to wreck the morning commute.
Big Smoke folks who move into northern rural communities should prepare themselves for a snow onslaught. Though not far from Toronto, Simcoe and Grey Bruce are both located in a snow belt, areas that are primed for powder. Blizzards and white outs are common occurrences up here at 1500 feet.
Surprisingly, only a few winters in and I’ve gone from a city person who loathes a snowfall, to a person who pulls on snow pants to make snow angels. Back in the city you can’t even find a clean spot of snow to fall back into to make a snow angel because snow goes quickly from pure to yellow or grey within minutes of falling.
The snow looking much prettier up here makes acclimatizing to the amount of snow dumped annually on Grey Highlands much easier. Some days looking outside at the pond from the couch it feels like I’m living in a snow globe as the white stuff gently flutters down all around. The feeling makes me want to be outside in winter, something I never felt in all my city years, even after attending many Toronto winter outdoor activities.
Rural reflections from Toronto hipster
Grey Highlands has plenty of outdoor winter activities, and we investigated purchasing snowshoes. Before we do, we plan to rent snowshoes to determine if we actually like the hobby. It’s been ages since I’ve put on ice skates, but my neighbor invited me this year to strap on a pair and hit the pond rink. Unfortunately I had to turn him down, but I’m considering purchasing skates in the off season secondhand.
Wearing snow pants on Queen St. remains unfashionable, but here pulling on a pair of Burton snow pants and jacket is the epitome of fashion. You won’t find a ‘90s snowboarder outfit vintage shopping on Queen West, but I found both these items thrifting locally. The colors are incredibly ‘90s garish, but they make it very easy to see me regardless of how big the blizzard is.
We have experienced several blizzards, but the snow plow operators have done a fantastic job keeping our roads cleared. On these big snow occasions our neighbor has dug out our driveway with his John Deere tractor, and we’ve rewarded his family with donuts from Flesherton Bakery and Cafe. Quick reminder, men over 50 increase their risk of heart attack shoveling snow, and it can be fatal. Shovel in 15 minute intervals.
The rural snow vs city snow feeling is a real adjustment people who move up here may experience. Posts about weather isn’t the most glamorous start to the Mernagh blog relaunch, but it is one difference I haven’t seen covered in all those BlogTO and Toronto Life posts about people leaving the city for rural life.
Do not take the weather blog as one of those ‘he’s out of ideas posts’ because I created a thorough content calendar, and continue brainstorming innovative communication methods that’ll bring living in an Enchanted Forest in Grey Highlands to life.
