“ …Rising from a deep curtsey, “Pleased to meet you Ma’am, and haven’t we been lucky with the weather for your Garden Party…””
It’s supposed to be a British characteristic – an obsession with the weather. Something that’s discussed in any situation, the Post Office queue, the bus stop, at the office, when meeting the Queen. OK, I can’t be certain about that last one, but you can imagine it can’t you?
It’s also something Brits and Canadians have in common, a propensity for weather analysis. This year, like last year and probably the year before, British conversation centred around the short spell of hot weather in April, which was in fact the summer for that year. Contrast this with the four distinct seasons we enjoy here in Ontario, punctuated by show-stopping thunderstorms and deadly tornadoes, and I think you’ll see what I mean when I say Canadians have more to talk about!
This is an excerpt from a piece I’ve recently written on Canada’s wondrous weather for the Expat Guide to Canada on the Expat Arrivals website. Click on this link to visit the site and read the full article…
expatlogue 
Great article, Aisha. Very comprehensive indeed and I liked the ‘winter’ section, particularly your two needling issues which were also mine when we lived there. The snow always looked so pretty on the American movies we used to watch but I never realised that, if it had rained the night before, those mounds of snow were actually hills of ice, and as for driving in the stuff… especially when the wipers start sticking. Still, where would we be without experiences such as these!
Thanks Russell, I always appreciate the feedback and the reminiscences!
Great article! Reading about your summer is how our US home (New Orleans) feels like most of the year. Who knew you had the same brutal humidity, violent storms and savage heat so far north?? I do envy you the distinct four season climate rather than the soup of the Deep South or the climate of the Netherlands where we find ourselves now – spring: gentle temperatures and rain, summer: cold and rain. autumn: mild and rain, winter: colder and rain, sometimes snow!
Hmmmm, sure you’ve got enough rain there??! Thanks for the compliment. I was surprised at the variety in the weather here, I didn’t expect such hot, humid summers. But I can’t say I’m disappointed – I LOVE the summer!