There’s a reason why Canada only has a population of 35 million and our neighbours to the south have 350 million: weather.
More specifically, winter. Even more specifically: snow and ice.
Have I mentioned this before?
Of course I have, round about this time of the year.
Yes, it is cabin fever time again — and I am soooooo sick of winter.
Oh, yes, there is yet another storm bearing down on us on Wednesday, with subsequent snow and rain and snow falling right into next week.
It occurred to me today, while having a hot shower courtesy of the artificial life-support system we humans have set up so that we can live in this country, that Mother Nature has the upper hand, no matter what mankind thinks it is doing to the environment.
A huff and a puff from Mother Nature, and all our hydro-electricity towers can come crashing down — as we witnessed to some extent during the Great Ice Storm of 1998.
Take away our artificial life-support systems permanently, and the Canadian population would fall to a million or so — only the heartiest survivalists could exist here.
It’s no wonder that so many Syrian refugees turned down the offer to resettle in Canada, apparently, given this land’s weather reputation.
Yes, we northerners do walk and drive on rather thick ice — the thicker the worse.
Why o’ why o’ why am I not living in California! Why didn’t I move there when I had the opportunity — yes, I really did have the opportunity — when I was a teenager? I would be established there now, perhaps a movie star . . .
Sigh . . .
Help!
— Jillian
Jillian Page 
er, I don’t know if this will Help. Probably make it worse. But look at it this way. I would take snow over drought+no H20. Celebrities excepted of course: http://tinyurl.com/gtdvrna %P
LikeLike
It’s a wee bit too big for me. A modest house in the hills outside El Cajon would be just fine by me.
Of course, I might like to live in San Francisco, too — no doubt, if I had gone there when I was a teen, I would have been hanging out in the Haight-Ashbury district, dropping acid, doing the Janis Joplin/Jefferson Airplane thing (go ask Alice).
LikeLike
ah .. Like Joni Mitchell. Now that’s a flower chil’e. Not to mention one of the best musician-artist of the generation. And she’s still going strong %)
LikeLike
I imagine three, maybe four million could live in the southwest corner of British Columbia. Not California but not frozen either. 🙂
LikeLike
B.C. is an option, though Vancouver and Victoria are out of the question because of home prices.
LikeLike
Vancouver is out-of-control expensive, but Victoria not so much.
LikeLike
I’m looking at Victoria . . .
LikeLike
I have had friends in Canada and Finland telling me about their -25C to -30C temperatures this winter, with the accompanying snow and ice. The thought that crosses my mind is why anyone would want to live in a place like that, but I guess that for these folk it is “home” and what they are used to, even for the ex-pat Brits. I find England bad enough though it barely gets below freezing. The interminable grey damp is depressing enough. The warmer sunnier weather can’t come soon enough for me. Even if we don’t get any in England I should get some on three weeks vacation in Turkey late July and early August. The only down side to that is no naturism in Turkey
LikeLike
Aloha from the North Shore of Victoria, B.C. Cherry blossoms are out, along with the daffodils, tulips and throngs of British ex-pats. Cucumber sandwiches and high tea, anyone?
LikeLike
I’m thinking about retiring there — if I ever get to retire. Am checking out housing and condo prices, as well as rental prices there.
LikeLike