Told wife that Canadians do great at keeping streets snow-free

[NewJeffCT]

My wife has a business trip to Canada in a few weeks. She's flying into Toronto, then has to drive about 90-100 miles NE of Toronto to visit one place, then come back to a suburb of Toronto.

She's already panicking about driving through snow in Canada, and just called to insist that I get her GPS system Christmas present before she leaves on Dec. 17.

I told her that Canadians are great at keeping their streets clear of the snow... I just don't want to get killed when she comes back because everybody is driving 4WD vehicles to & from work through mounds of snow & ice.

So, Canadian DUers, or those who know the area, am I misleading my wife at all?

[Lautremont]

1. Well, Canada's a big place, and generally we are pretty good

at clearing snow, what with all the practice and all. And yet I remember some years back Toronto suffered a snow storm of fairly normal proportions and had to call out the Army to save them because for some reason they couldn't take care of it themselves. They'll never live that one down.

And whenever Vancouver or Victoria get a big white dump, as they recently have, the inadequacy of their snow-clearing forces shows itself. So it's not across the board.

It's entirely possible that a big storm might hit just before or while your wife is making her trip, and no amount of snow-clearing acumen can take care of the snow as it's hitting the ground. Make sure that she's got the usual cold-weather safety gear with her: cell phone, road flares, candles, blankets, food - anything she might need if, perish forbid, she skids off the road into a ditch and has to wait out the night. Better safe than sorry.

[NewJeffCT]

3. I'm sure telling her to pack all that stuff will go over really well

road flares & blankets...

[Lautremont]

6. Well, southern Ontario is a little more densly populated than where I'm from,

so perhaps I'm being overcautious.

[ghostsofgiants]

9. According to CBC is was a little more than "normal"

http://archives.cbc.ca/IDC-1-69-2013-12772-10/on_this_day/life_society/twt

Though calling in the military might have been an overreaction, haha.

[QMPMom]

2. I l ive in Western Canada and our streets are snow and ice-packed right

now. They will be clean and driveable but if it's really cold, they won't be snow-free. It was -28 (-41 with wind chill) yesterday. It *is* warmer in the Toronto area, though.

A lot of municipalities in Canada have already used their snow clearing budget. Out here in Edmonton, with the oil boom, the city can't get enough snow plows because they are all in the boom area in Ft. MacMurray, north of here.

I was born and grew up in Southern Indiana. Driving in Canada was a whole new world with the winter weather. I'm now very good at it. Went into a horrid slide and spin on a freeway off-ramp the other day and managed to regain control and avoid crashing into anything. My DH was impressed.

[ncabot22]

4. She should be okay

Toronto, according to friends, generally does a good job of keeping streets clear. Unlike Vancouver, a city completely unprepared for the snow we've just received.

Tell your wife to relax and have a good trip. If she's nervous about driving from Toronto to one of the suburbs, the city has excellent transit. So if she wants to park in Toronto and take a train to the town she's visiting then return, she should find something cheap.

I hope this makes sense. I'm battling a cold/fever and though it makes sense to me, I'm not sure about anyone else.

Edited to clarify

[NewJeffCT]

5. Thanks & welcome to DU

I will tell her that.

By transit, do you mean Mass Transit, like a bus or train.

[ncabot22]

7. Here is some info

From Union Station, she could catch a train to northern Ontario, leaving her car in the city. I'm not sure what city she is going to but this site lists travel from Toronto to northern Ontario.

http://www.ontc.on.ca/

You can also go to gotransit.com for transit info in Toronto.

[NewJeffCT]

10. two cities

Peterborough, and then Markham.

Here they are on google:

http://www.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Markham,+ON,+Canada&ie=UTF8&z=8&ll=43.945372,-79.30481&spn=1.878598,3.548584&om=1

[Canadian Socialist]

8. Here's a link to the TTC

http://www.toronto.ca/ttc/

I don't live in Tranna, but I've heard their rapid transit is quite good.

[applegrove]

11. Toronto is so not used to big snow that a goofy mayor actually called

out the army to help during one storm a decade ago. Actually..the rest of the country is still laughing.

Roads will be clear. It may be cold. No snowshoes needed.