Hi all...I thought that it would be a good idea to create a sister thread of "The Misconceptions that Canadians have about our weather" thread

Well a lot of Americans, believe it or not, think that as soon as you cross the border...lol...it gets freezing cold all of a sudden...I opened this to set the record straight...it's not that cold...I know people from Oklahoma complaining that it gets cold almost freezing sometimes

Today in Toronto the high is 16 degrees celsius (that's 60-61 fahrenheit), in the beginning of November

Southern Ontario has hotter weather than Southern California from June-September. Especially this summer

Vancouver has palm trees.

Southern BC and Southern Alberta have deserts.

It can be snowing one day, and be 15C the next in Calgary due to Chinooks. I have a friend out there who said to me on MSN in January. "G2G, going OUTSIDE to play volleyball." lol...

Southern Ontario is as far south as Northern California/Oregon Border.

we live in igloos. i was asked that a number of times when i was in california.

and we go to work with a sled pulled by dogs!!

COOL! :)

Dammit! The polar bears are roaming down Yonge St. eyeing the garbage again! :runaway:

I've never met Americans who are that ignorant- well, the ones who don't know anything about Canadian weather literally do not know where Canada is. But if they're aware that we're up here, they know (for example) that we don't live in igloos; that's just a ridiculous cliche (about Americans I mean). Never happened- unless they were kidding.

By the same token, and I say this as an ex-American who has travelled a lot- I have never met a single American EVER who put a Canadian flag on his or her backpack. I am so sick of this urban legend.

/\ Actually many Americans do put the Canadian flag on their backpacks. Not only have I seen it on t.v (which isn't exactly perfectly reliable) but my best friend who was JUST in Portugal seen tonnes of them and asked them personally if they were really Canadian, and they told him the truth. Other accounts have also been told to me by my exgirlfriend when she was in Italy, and my current girlfriend's dad and brother who have also been to Portugal and other European countries.

ANYWAYS, we've all heard the stories of Americans comming over here to snowmobile or ski in the middle of the summer. Cracks me up every time.

Vancouver has Palm Trees?! :eek2:

Two 15 year old girls I met from Louisville, Kentucky on spring break this year:
Me: "Yeah, we don't have cottages where I live. We have igloos. Every summer we get on the snowmobiles and drive 1 hour north to them."
Them: "Really?"
This is after I pointed to them on the map of the world where I lived. Saint John, is NOT that much further north than Louisville. Maybe about 800km?

A 17 year old girl I met from LA on spring break:
Me: "Yeah, I'm in the professional ping-pong league of Canada."
Her: "Is that what you guys do up there?"
I also told her about the summer "igloo cottage" and she believed me.

LOL... when I tried to explain "EH" to her. I was like... you know, you would say it when you comment on something such as, "that's big, eh?" She goes: "What's a biggay?" as if it was all one word, LOL.

Vancouver has Palm Trees?! :eek2:
Yes it does.

I've never met Americans who are that ignorant- well, the ones who don't know anything about Canadian weather literally do not know where Canada is. But if they're aware that we're up here, they know (for example) that we don't live in igloos; that's just a ridiculous cliche (about Americans I mean). Never happened- unless they were kidding.

By the same token, and I say this as an ex-American who has travelled a lot- I have never met a single American EVER who put a Canadian flag on his or her backpack. I am so sick of this urban legend.



i'm serious. they actually thought that we lived in igloos.


victoria has palm trees too. not that many though, and they're quite small.

I find that people from just a few hours South of North Bay can be just as ignorant about the weather here as as some Americans are about Canada's weather. Even some people from OTTAWA of all places makes comments like "North Bay? Brrrrrr! That's too cold for me!" Ottawa is only about 100km further Southward than North Bay!

When I was in Europe I personally met Americans who had Canadian Flags on their back-packs, the reason why I talked to them in the first place was because I thought that they were Canadians.

My Igloo keeps melting, I don't know what to do.

I'm from the states...I've vacationed in Toronto in the middle of the winter and found it to be identical to Chicago, with less wind. And I've vacationed in Vancouver in the middle of the summer and found the weather to be perfect (in addition to it being one of the most gorgeous places on earth). I think I have pretty accurate conceptions of Canadian weather and how you deal with it.

But you have to understand that average American lives in a place where the highs (even in the middle of January) are still above freezing. The geographical center of the country is somewhat close to Wichita, KS... where the average daily high temperature in January is 40 degrees F (4.5 degrees C). And in July the average high is 93 degrees F (34 degrees C). That's a lot warmer than what I would consider the geographical center of Canada (somewhere around Thompson, Manitoba, maybe?). According to weather.ca, the average high in January in Thompson is -19 degrees C (-2 degrees F), and the average high in July is 23 degrees C (73 degrees F). That's a huuuuuuuuuge difference... especially to someone who might be from the South and may have only seen snow once or twice in their whole life! When I lived in southern Mississippi (close to the gulf coast) as a child I didn't even own a true winter coat... and it snowed ONCE in the five years that I lived there. Not even two inches of snow and we had two days off of school. People don't own snow shovels, and there is literally no such thing as a salt-truck or a plough-truck. Also, people want their kids to be able to experience playing in the snow because it's such a freak thing down there.

Just for the record, I prefer the cold weather (I live in the midwest now). And for all of you who think you'd love the hot weather in the southern states... let me just tell you first hand, when it is literally 102 degrees F (39 degrees C) with 95% humidity for days and days--with no wind--like it is in the South, you get over it REALLY quickly.

Vancouver has Palm Trees?! :eek2:

English Bay, Vancouver
http://tinypic.com/fawha9.jpg
Eucalyptus in North Van
http://www.hardypalm.com/photos/fergusongarden/P1010004.jpg
West Vancouver
http://tinypic.com/fawuac.jpg
http://tinypic.com/faww3c.jpg
Banana tree
http://www.fousdepalmiers.fr/upload/f110603032407_BC-(108).jpg
http://www.fousdepalmiers.fr/upload/f110603032056_BC-(232).jpg

There's more pics here.

http://www.pbase.com/alon/vancouver&page=2

I'm from the states...I've vacationed in Toronto in the middle of the winter and found it to be identical to Chicago...

Toronto January:
High: -1.3
Low: -7.9

Chicago January:
High: -1.7
Low: -10.6

Chicago is just a tad bit colder. Chicago has a bit hotter summers though.


Average all year

Toronto: 8.9
Chicago: 9.4

Encarta 2006

I also know of Americans who were trying to pass themselves off as Torontonians in Europe, but when confronted by a Canadian, they conceded that they were really Americans. We also have Americans here in Mexico who are phonies. One who's just a social worker tried to pass himself off as a psychiatrist and another one pretended to be an engineer at Boeing when he was really a painter at Boeing. LOL! :)

I'm from the states...I've vacationed in Toronto in the middle of the winter and found it to be identical to Chicago, with less wind. And I've vacationed in Vancouver in the middle of the summer and found the weather to be perfect (in addition to it being one of the most gorgeous places on earth). I think I have pretty accurate conceptions of Canadian weather and how you deal with it.

But you have to understand that average American lives in a place where the highs (even in the middle of January) are still above freezing. The geographical center of the country is somewhat close to Wichita, KS... where the average daily high temperature in January is 40 degrees F (4.5 degrees C). And in July the average high is 93 degrees F (34 degrees C). That's a lot warmer than what I would consider the geographical center of Canada (somewhere around Thompson, Manitoba, maybe?). According to weather.ca, the average high in January in Thompson is -19 degrees C (-2 degrees F), and the average high in July is 23 degrees C (73 degrees F). That's a huuuuuuuuuge difference... especially to someone who might be from the South and may have only seen snow once or twice in their whole life! When I lived in southern Mississippi (close to the gulf coast) as a child I didn't even own a true winter coat... and it snowed ONCE in the five years that I lived there. Not even two inches of snow and we had two days off of school. People don't own snow shovels, and there is literally no such thing as a salt-truck or a plough-truck. Also, people want their kids to be able to experience playing in the snow because it's such a freak thing down there.

Just for the record, I prefer the cold weather (I live in the midwest now). And for all of you who think you'd love the hot weather in the southern states... let me just tell you first hand, when it is literally 102 degrees F (39 degrees C) with 95% humidity for days and days--with no wind--like it is in the South, you get over it REALLY quickly.


Good observations, except you really can't use Thompson as representative of Canada's climate. It would be much more reasonable to use a population-weighted center of Canada's ecumen (populated part of the country). That would put you somewhere around Barrie, Ontario - similar to Toronto but with much more snowfall.

I think one thing that Americans tend to not realize is that although the Twin Cities are hotter on average in the summer than every major Canadian city, we're colder in the winter than every major Canadian city except for Winnipeg.

Nobody has it as bad as we do here in the center of the continent.

I think one thing that Americans tend to not realize is that although the Twin Cities are hotter on average in the summer than every major Canadian city, we're colder in the winter than every major Canadian city except for Winnipeg.

Nobody has it as bad as we do here in the center of the continent.

Blame the climate, and join the club! :)

I work for the Road Runner NHD and we speak to Americans all day long . do you know what I have come to understand ... Americans are just like us. they are mostly great people. Some however dont know what the out side world is like . I spoke to a woman from LA who asked if I dare go to the beach. I said why? She told me about her neighbour who came up here on his Yaht and was borded by PIRATES !!! they cost him a fortune, what a maroon ( As Buggs Bunny would say ) .
Get it, I work for Time Warner ...

I think one thing that Americans tend to not realize is that although the Twin Cities are hotter on average in the summer than every major Canadian city, we're colder in the winter than every major Canadian city except for Winnipeg.

Nobody has it as bad as we do here in the center of the continent.

Edmonton would certainly be colder than the Twin Cities. Toronto would have higher average temperatures in the summer also. Toronto's daily high over the summer is 1 F. degree lower, but it stays warmer at night because of the higher humidity.

Wrong thread.

I saw a clip on CNNs Crossfire where the Republican idiot (the one that where's the bowtie) was arguing with that woman who got kicked out of Parliament for stomping on a Bush doll in Ottawa. The Republican actually believed that the "majority" of Canadians enjoyed dog sledding, as if we all lived in Nunavut, not that there is anything wrong with that.

His name is Tucker (or Fucker) Carlson, and he was just being an asshole so CNN got rid of him. :)

http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2005/01/05/Arts/tucker050105.html

^^ I remember that remark. That was Tucker Carlson (with the tie). I don't think he was being serious. He is an idiot though.

You know, why do we worry so much about what others think? Let em think what they want. That is their problem.

^^ Yeah, I think he only weighed about 120 pounds and about 100 pounds of that was asshole. LOL.

It's like that with the UK's weather as well. They all seem to think that we hardly ever see the sun, and that it's always cold, foggy and rainy. Fact is that London is drier than most US cities, has 3 foggy days per year on average, 0-1 days of snowfall a year on average, about 100 days of ranfall on average (mainly in autumn and early winter), and is very rarely that cold (for the majority of Americans) in winter.

Average annual rainfall: 584mm
Average rainy days: 106
Average Jan high: 8ºC/46ºF
Average Jul high: 23ºC/74ºF
Annual snowy days: 1
Annual foggy days: 3
Record high: 38ºC/100ºF
Record low: -12ºC/10ºF

In an average year, the highest temperature will be between 33-35ºC, and the lowest between 0-3ºC.

In October, the lowest daytime high was 15ºC. So far this month, every day has ranged from 15-18ºC.

Our summers are warm but not hot, although the humidity can be opressive to people from dry climates. This summer (1st June-31st August 2005), we had 13 days over 30ºC/86ºF, approx 40 days over 25ºC/77ºF, and about 85 days over 21ºC/70ºF (a pretty average summer).

The highest temperature was 33ºC/91ºF, and temps of over 30ºC were recorded in every month from May-September. The lowest temperature recorded in summer was 16ºC, which was the coldest July day for 25 years!

His name is Tucker (or Fucker) Carlson, and he was just being an asshole so CNN got rid of him. :)

http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2005/01/05/Arts/tucker050105.html

Who the hell gives their child a faggotty name like Tucker anyways?

People who deserve to be stuffed into a portable toilet and lit on fire, in my opinion lol.

^^But don't you think that "Tucker" is very apropos for someone who wears a sissy bowtie all the time?

^^ Definitely. In fact that's how I always knew who we was, without ever really watching the show. I certainly won't argue that against Tucker, or anybody else with these weak male names that seem to be becoming more popular with time.

Wasn't the other guy Robert Novak or something? Maybe I'm getting these hardball shows crossed. Either way, I wouldn't usually expect a guy named Bob to wear a bowtie, outside of a formal ball or other "tux event" or something like that.

^^ In the link I provided, you can see that he still combs his hair the way his mommy did when he was a little boy. He's just a mommy's boy. LOL

I figured for those among us who are too lazy to click outside links...

:bowtie: :bowtie: http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/photos/carleson_tuckerchair050105.jpg :bowtie: :bowtie:

Not to mention the tie and blouse (yes, I said blouse), are pink?!?

Is it just me, or doesn't it look like his pants are twisted? Must not have had mommy to dress him for that shot.

Boy is this off-topic!

This is even more off-topic, watch Ann Coulter get ripped by the CBC!
http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2663937

I'll bring this back on topic, if I were to ever find a non-Canadian wearing a maple leaf on thier backpack to pretend to be one of us, i'd turn that sucker around and rip that patch right off, doesn't deserve to wear the maple leaf.

LOL. I missed the pink blouse, but who can miss the pickle that he placed in his pants to attract more boyfriends? His mommy would be shocked.

CNN doesn't like conservatives, so when they let one talk on TV, they want to make sure they look like fruitcakes, and who fits the bill better than Tucker?

I also know of Americans who were trying to pass themselves off as Torontonians in Europe, but when confronted by a Canadian, they conceded that they were really Americans. We also have Americans here in Mexico who are phonies. One who's just a social worker tried to pass himself off as a psychiatrist and another one pretended to be an engineer at Boeing when he was really a painter at Boeing. LOL! :)
We also literally have 25% of your country that immigrated here.

^^LOL, Mexico isn't my country. I'm just here for the winter. BTW, the US Consulate here in Cabo San Lucas is full of Americans crying about how the Mexican officials want to deport them for working illegally. :)

FYI, there are about 900,000 Americans living in Mexico full time.

http://k41.pbase.com/u29/alon/large/17662866.DSC04499.jpg

There is no place like Vancouver in the summer, its no wounder so many rich Americans have condos here and only uses them between mid May and late September.

Canada is a cold country - during the winter and shoulder seasons - compared to our neighbours to the south, and even comparing to most European countries...I'm reminded that everyday now from my American colleagues while working in Vancouver (which happens to be wet as well). Some numbers to look at:

Denver is as warm on average in January as Vancouver (6c), with average highs in July 2 degrees warmer than Osoyoos. Actually, Billings, Minneapolis, and Chicago all match the Canadian hot spot champ for averages in July. None of those US cities are really considered "warm" either...

Miami is 2 degrees warmer (on average of course) in January than Vancouver's July average.

And while Calgary just manages to beat one major American city - Minneapolis - for a warmer "average" (I use that loosely talking about Calgary) temperature in January, it doesn't match the 5 straight months of averaging well over 20c the Twin cities receives.

Yes - TO has some warm summers, thanks to its crazy humidity (and choking smog) - 27c on average for July. But its a couple degrees from the 40c that Yuma to Palm Springs, CA recieves on average for 2-3 months.

Anyhow...while we are colder, we also don't have the constant threats to live with (every Aug-Nov in the Gulf states, California once in a while) and leave our homes. Canada's worst modern natural disasters were ice storms in QC, and the tornadoes in AB. I'll take that over worrying about losing a home, family, etc...

^^ I strongly doubt that Denver is warmer (average highs) than Osoyoos in July. Show me the proof!

...they want to make sure they look like fruitcakes, and who fits the bill better than Tucker?

Not to drag this back off topic, but this reminds me of a George Carlin line, that goes something like "I'll guarantee you 10 times out of 10, that Nickie, Vinnie, and Eddie will beat the crap out of Kyle, Todd, and Tucker!"

Denver January = 6°C/-9C
Denver July = 31C/15C

http://www.weather.com/activities/other/other/weather/climo-monthly-graph.html?locid=USCO0105&from=36hr_bottomnav_undeclared

Osoyoos
January: 1C /-5.2C
July 29.2C/14.1

http://www.climate.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_e.html?Province=ALL&StationName=Osoyoos&SearchType=BeginsWith&LocateBy=Province&Proximity=25&ProximityFrom=City&StationNumber=&IDType=MSC&CityName=&ParkName=&LatitudeDegrees=&LatitudeMinutes=&LongitudeDegrees=&LongitudeMinutes=&NormalsClass=A&SelNormals=&StnId=1043&&autofwd=1

However there could be another Osoyoos weather station that is warmer. I know for a fact that Osoyoos goes above 40C at some points in the summer.

^^ Okay, thanks for the references. I have to admit I'm surprised that Denver's July average high is so great.

^^ Okay, thanks for the references. I have to admit I'm surprised that Denver's July average high is so great.

Shouldn't be a surprise...most US cities are as warm in July. And while winter weather is starting to show in most of Canada (save southern Ont), a good chunk of US cities are still in mid-teens to low-twenties today (higher than normal - but still).

^^ Yeah, but they're not at an altitude of 5,200 ft.

More Vancouver palms....

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/529/554320765527-l.jpg

LOL they got rid of Tucker Carlson? I never noticed. Maybe because of me?
I sent an e-mail to CNN in a threatning manner telling them if an American ever did that again there would be consequences! LOL. They might have taken it as a terrorist threat? I'm sure a lot of other Canadians sent mail too though. MWHAHAHAHA!

I figured for those among us who are too lazy to click outside links...

:bowtie: :bowtie: http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/photos/carleson_tuckerchair050105.jpg :bowtie: :bowtie:

Not to mention the tie and blouse (yes, I said blouse), are pink?!?

Is it just me, or doesn't it look like his pants are twisted? Must not have had mommy to dress him for that shot.

Boy is this off-topic!

He looks Canadian to me.

LOL they got rid of Tucker Carlson? I never noticed. Maybe because of me?
I sent an e-mail to CNN in a threatning manner telling them if an American ever did that again there would be consequences! LOL. They might have taken it as a terrorist threat? I'm sure a lot of other Canadians sent mail too though. MWHAHAHAHA!

CNN seems to be more Democratic (or liberal) than Republican (or conservative), and it was on Wolf Blitzer's (an honest journalist) program where Tucker acted up. Democrats tend to respect Canada and Wolf doesn't like to host idiots on his show. So Tucker got the boot. :)

He looks Canadian to me.

When is the last time you saw a Canadian on TV wearing a bowtie or a pink blouse?

I thought he had to be your twin brother Dale.

He looks like a preppy ivy league graduate of Yale or some other US college.

Actually, Tucker is even a bigger idiot than I thought:

Carlson completed private secondary education at St. George's School, Newport, Rhode Island. He then attended Trinity College in Connecticut for four years without obtaining a degree. Carlson describes his college experience thus:

"After four years, I had met a lot of interesting people, gone to a couple of classes and restored a motorcycle, and that was it. And so I wasted my time at college."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tucker_Carlson

He didn't even graduate.

More Vancouver palms....



Please, please, please...no more Van pics here, no more windmill palm pics either. The point was made. Yes, the stubby windmill palms throughout Van - a very weather hardy palm variety - manage to live through Vancouver's wet (and sometimes cold) winters...they are good to extremes of -14c (which is good, since Van dropped to -10c last January).

They do look nice, and they add an extra touch of greenery the rest of Canada has. Flowers throughout downtown (albeit, mostly cold-hardy pansies) also make Van the envy of most Canadians in Jan/February.

But because the windmill palms exist doesn't make Vancouver tropical...they also grow in the UK.

Windmill palms can grow in S. ontario and s. nova scotia provided you cover them a bit.

Yes the palm trees again. One thing i've noticed is the Vancouverites on this forum have an obsession with trying to be like California.

^^ Next they will have to get into cold hardy citrus like satsuma mandarins, and lemons in large pots.

But because the windmill palms exist doesn't make Vancouver tropical...they also grow in the UK.

We have other types of palms as well, and banana plants here, it very rarely gets below freezing in the SE and SW of the UK, even at night in winter (the average low in Jan is 2-4ºC).

Two 15 year old girls I met from Louisville, Kentucky on spring break this year:
Me: "Yeah, we don't have cottages where I live. We have igloos. Every summer we get on the snowmobiles and drive 1 hour north to them."
Them: "Really?"
This is after I pointed to them on the map of the world where I lived. Saint John, is NOT that much further north than Louisville. Maybe about 800km?

A 17 year old girl I met from LA on spring break:
Me: "Yeah, I'm in the professional ping-pong league of Canada."
Her: "Is that what you guys do up there?"
I also told her about the summer "igloo cottage" and she believed me.

LOL... when I tried to explain "EH" to her. I was like... you know, you would say it when you comment on something such as, "that's big, eh?" She goes: "What's a biggay?" as if it was all one word, LOL.

This might be just a stupid stereotype but I will say it anyways...ITS KENTUCKY! What do you expect?

Anyways, I can agree that alot of americans think Canada is freezing. I live right near the border so I know the truth. Alot of people even think northern parts of America are cold, this is one reason why alot of northern cities have been declining while southern ones have been growing. Me, I would rather live through 6 months of snow then hurricane season. Also I like diversity, and many parts of Canada have very diverse climate. Eventually I get bored of warm weather, and before you know it it's winter. Then a few months after that it's warm agian.

Me, I would rather live through 6 months of snow then hurricane season. Also I like diversity, and many parts of Canada have very diverse climate. Eventually I get bored of warm weather, and before you know it it's winter. Then a few months after that it's warm agian.

I'm with you. At least we can play in the snow... I don't recommend anyone here play in a hurricane.

Please, please, please...no more Van pics here, no more windmill palm pics either. The point was made. Yes, the stubby windmill palms throughout Van - a very weather hardy palm variety - manage to live through Vancouver's wet (and sometimes cold) winters...they are good to extremes of -14c (which is good, since Van dropped to -10c last January).

They do look nice, and they add an extra touch of greenery the rest of Canada has. Flowers throughout downtown (albeit, mostly cold-hardy pansies) also make Van the envy of most Canadians in Jan/February.

But because the windmill palms exist doesn't make Vancouver tropical...they also grow in the UK.

You like to take digs at Vancouver don't you? Though you seem to have nice things to say you also make little comments that can cause friction on this website. Why?

^^ We have some cheerleaders for their city here. :cheer: :carrot: :cheer:

PALM TREES HAVE NOTHING ON THE PRICKILY PEAR CACTUS' THAT GROW IN MY COUNTY! WHAA WHAA!!!!

Nah seriously... Palm trees grow in Windsor too. (Not natively mind you).
We have native cactus though.
CHEW ON IT! Oh you likey?

Drumheller, Alberta even has prickly pear cactus!

So does Kamloops among others ... My Palms are Still outside by the way on NOVEMBER 4th.

Myself I love the Garry oak trees that grow in Victoria and Parksville. I believe those are the only places in Canada they grow (not certain however).

Bah, I hate that fake palm-trees-in-BC stuff. :mad: There's some places here around Seattle that do that, and it's just so dumb. Makes it look like they wanna be in California, or somethin'. Well, if they want California, they should just move to California. :mad:

There are a few places in Canada that can grow palms Southern B.C., So. Ontario and coastal Nova Scotia are the main areas. Here's a pic (courtesy of skycraper1) of a nice tropical garden in Halifax. Regardless of what can be grown here, Canada is still a very cold place!

Also Halifax has yet to experience any frost yet and most people are still needing to mow their lawns.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a5/NS_Subtropical/Oct11001.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a5/NS_Subtropical/Oct11008.jpg

Ya, but BC is the only place where palms dont look out of place!

You like to take digs at Vancouver don't you? Though you seem to have nice things to say you also make little comments that can cause friction on this website. Why?

No dude, not looking to cause friction, I'm actually not sure what I said in what you quoted that you take as a "dig"...I'm just calling it like it is. Everytime I come onto this website, there's a discussion about how warm Vancouver is, how beautiful Vancouver is, and the fact that windmill palm trees can grow there. I think there are already dedicated threads for all three of those endless topics (or at least the last two) - no need to weigh down my browser with lots more pics.

Vancouver is a beautiful city, no doubt, and would impress anyone, from anywhere (which I've seen firsthand). I don't however think its anymore beautiful than several other cities - or places - in Canada (Okanagan, TO, Montreal, Quebec, and to a lesser degree - Calgary)

...and lately, I wake up four days a week looking over Burrard Inlet, with a view of Stanley Park, a bit of the Lions Gate, and the North Shore mountains - so, I've got a great view to judge by.

Ya, but BC is the only place where palms dont look out of place!

Palms look out of place everywhere in Canada, and most of the U.S. as well

^^You're just not used to them. Even here in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico we have palm trees that are not native (coconut palms) but they don't look out of place - even though the are out of place. Same thing for citrus trees down here.

Here's my place (I took the photo only 3 minutes ago):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v311/ocean10/DSC00001.jpg

All the plants/trees you see are are non-native.

^^You're just not used to them. Even here in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico we have palm trees that are not native (coconut palms) but they don't look out of place - even though the are out of place. Same good for citrus trees down here.

Well, palms in Vancouver are great fun for Canadians, and a novelty for us
but if the truth be told they do look a little out of place, especially when
it snows. Certainly Vancouver is marginal for growing palms, and if they
get an unusually severe cold snap it could kill them all.
They do not grow as large as say, San Francisco, and mature clutches of
them are not that common, and generally right on the ocean front. Here are some pix:
http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/1070/palmsonseawall1sp.jpg
http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/9868/palmsatenglishbayc7by.jpg
http://img318.imageshack.us/img318/2061/palmsatenglishbay3cl.jpg

Drumheller, Alberta even has prickly pear cactus!
Cactus will grow in Toronto, and parts of Southern Ontario, but they
die back in the winter.
The ones I've seen in TO were very small and again, looked sort of out
of place. A novelty, really.

Prickly Pear Cactus are native to Drumheller, AB - and they don't die back even though Drum. goes down to -38 C every year.

Prickly Pear Cactus are native to Drumheller, AB - and they don't die back even though Drum. goes down to -38 C every year.
The ones I saw were native to Pelee Island, the southernmost point of
Canada. They were all small, about the size of your hand or a small
baseball glove, and in the winter they get all mushy.
In Drumheller, do they remain firm even in -38c!!?!?!? How is that
possible for a succulent? I would have thought they would go
dormant like other plants and then regenerate in the spring.

They go dormant over winter - what doesn't - but they don't die.

Cactus grows in the South Okanagan, namely Osoyoos and Oliver, BC. Not sure what variety, though.

PS. Is it true that Canada's only real desert is in Osoyoos? I keep hearing that.

PPS. Canada Cowboy - You can't possibly suggest that TO, Calgary, etc, are as physically beautiful as Vancouver? (I assume you meant its natural setting since you were speaking of Stanely Park and the North Shore mountains, and the general view you have to compare it with, when you stated this.) Vancouver is regarded around the world as being one of the most beautiful cities anywhere.

Architecturally, well, that would be Paris or New York or take your pic of any number of European cities. But Vancouver's modern architecture fits with its natural sorroundings in a very unique way, too. Not quite Seattle, not quite Hong Kong, not quite anything else on the planet. You should get Douglas Coupland's book, City of Glass....but I digress, as that wasn't the context in which you were stating your case. While I think other Canadian cities are beautiful, I don't see how they can compare with the physicality of Vancouver - jaw dropping mountains at the foot of the Pacific, ocean surrounding the entire downtown core, a 1000 acre rainforest next to skyscrapers and teeming street life....It's all so green and blue!

Cactus will grow in Toronto, and parts of Southern Ontario, but they
die back in the winter.
The ones I've seen in TO were very small and again, looked sort of out
of place. A novelty, really.

Sorry, but there is no way that a cactus will grow outside (year round) in the Toronto area - too much rain. Cactus need it dry most of the time, that's why they can survive at Drumheller, Osoyoos and Kamloops.

PS. Is it true that Canada's only real desert is in Osoyoos? I keep hearing that.



Yes, it is considered to be the northern terminus of Mexico's Sonoran desert! Osoyoos gets 9 inches of ppt. - a desert is 10 inches or less.

Sorry, but there is no way that a cactus will grow outside (year round) in the Toronto area - too much rain. Cactus need it dry most of the time, that's why they can survive at Drumheller, Osoyoos and Kamloops.

I am 99% positive that there are cacti are native to extreme southern ontario. Plus there are cacti outside in my parents garden here in Nova Scotia.

PALM TREES HAVE NOTHING ON THE PRICKILY PEAR CACTUS' THAT GROW IN MY COUNTY! WHAA WHAA!!!!

Nah seriously... Palm trees grow in Windsor too. (Not natively mind you).
We have native cactus though.
CHEW ON IT! Oh you likey?

The palms in Windsor are put out in pots for the summer and brought in for the winter. I have seen pictures and they are hardly palms at that, very tiny - usually cordylines.

The only place in Canada where palms flourish and can be left outside completely unprotected year round is BC. There are palms here as high as 30-40 feet, and there not all near the water. The tallest palm in the lower mainland i've heard of is 40 feet high and is growing in Burnaby.

Also there are entire slopes full of native cactus growing wild on Salt Spring Island.

^ Yeah, I think you're talking about these things. They're not bona fide palms but hell, it's the best Ontario can do. They are moved inside Windsor's greenhouses during the winter.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b60/cmb256/corb4.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b60/cmb256/detpic1b.jpg


Extreme southwestern Ontario is home to the only Carolinian forests in Canada....they never seem to get the same respect as palms though.

Please, please, please...no more Van pics here, no more windmill palm pics either. The point was made. Yes, the stubby windmill palms throughout Van - a very weather hardy palm variety - manage to live through Vancouver's wet (and sometimes cold) winters...they are good to extremes of -14c (which is good, since Van dropped to -10c last January).

They do look nice, and they add an extra touch of greenery the rest of Canada has. Flowers throughout downtown (albeit, mostly cold-hardy pansies) also make Van the envy of most Canadians in Jan/February.

But because the windmill palms exist doesn't make Vancouver tropical...they also grow in the UK.Yea. Enough with the palms already. I think they totally clash with the trees that grow naturally here.

It would be more convincing if people showed some bikini clad women instead. :yes:

No dude, not looking to cause friction, I'm actually not sure what I said in what you quoted that you take as a "dig"...I'm just calling it like it is. Everytime I come onto this website, there's a discussion about how warm Vancouver is, how beautiful Vancouver is, and the fact that windmill palm trees can grow there.

No worries mate. I was just lending to the thread as it asked which is about Canadian weather in the eyes of Americans so adding pics of Van's different plantlife seemed appropriate regardless if there is other threads on it. Besides some the the photos I submitted I'm pretty sure have not been seen before. Anyway, it doesn't matter. I respect your honesty.

I am 99% positive that there are cacti are native to extreme southern ontario. Plus there are cacti outside in my parents garden here in Nova Scotia.

The eastern prickly pear cactus does exist in (endangered) Point Pelee National Park. The limiting factors to grow this cactus is the lack of dry, sandy, open habitat in warm climate. Like I was saying - Toronto won't work.

Having some plant in the garden doesn't mean that it could survive in the natural habitat of NS.

It's a shame that a discussion on Canadian weather always boils down to palm trees in Vancouver. I understand why this happens... it's an example of extremes, and it flies in the face of stereotype (which is the point of this thread). But I'm far more interested in Canada's great softwood trees.. pines, spruce, fir.... I'm NOT a palm tree kind of guy.

Ontario also has a unique bio-region to Canada.. it's the only province that has area within the Carolinian region, which contains trees, flowers and vines that can't be found in any other province.

What about all of the unique species of Tundra plants and flowers that survive in the far north? That's more interesting to me...

your a guy ? Just kidden ( avatar threw me off ) really J/K... lol

I agree about the far north , Id love to see some new pics of things up there ( but urban )
We never see NEW pics ( last 2 years ) of Northern Dovelopment or in a lesser Degree tree's I guess .

P.S. I read today at the UBC website that windmill plams can survive in temps of -18 c

I may try growing some next year to see what happens!
I still have my one palm out side and its still fine.

^ It all depends on the tree itself. Two palms could be planted right next to each other, one will make it through a cold snap of -14 while the one next to it will die. It's all a matter of luck. Also, they are hardy to -14 only for a short period of time (usually a few nights in a row) an extended period of that for 2 weeks or more would kill them all. Vancouver may get down to -10 or -12 one or two nights out of the year, and some years not at all, which is why the palms survive here.

I see. so I may not ahve a chance. Mind you I do live in the Far West Valley . The Upper heights of Kamloops have snow , but We ( Valley folk ) are still mowing our LAWNS! " HAHAHA To 'ELL with them eyes says. " and yes , Palm and elephant Ear are still doing great !

Cant says that .... I just looked out side and , and Elephant ear isnt doing so great .... Its bent over

Sorry, but there is no way that a cactus will grow outside (year round) in the Toronto area - too much rain. Cactus need it dry most of the time, that's why they can survive at Drumheller, Osoyoos and Kamloops.

A couple species of cacti grow natively here in Minnesota - and we get 30" of rain a year and temperatures as low as -30ºF.

lichens.

I agree...Rare ecosystems native to Canada are far more interesting than palms. Here on southeastern Vancouver Island and the nearby Gulf Islands we have the Garry oak ecosystem, a rare, Mediterranean-type ecosystem of meadows and white oak trees native to California, Oregon, Washington, and Vancouver Island only, mixed with arbutus (called 'Madrona' in California), the only broadleaf evergreen tree in all of Canada. This ecosystem is formed by mild, wet winters and very dry summers. And the oak savannah is definitely better-looking than spindly windmill palms.

Re: cacti...

I know there are native cacti growing on southeastern Vancouver Island, on dry, south-facing slopes, usually mixed with oak and arbutus scrub. These are prickly pears, I believe, not too impressive to look at..

Re: palms...

I agree that windmill palms are not very impressive. Luckily, there are several other species hardy to zone 8b (most of south coastal BC falls in this category): Chilean wine palms, Mediterranean fan palms, and a couple hybrid windmill species that are much more attractive. None of these species have really caught on yet, but hopefully people will stop planting the blah windmill palms and start looking for other varieties.

Just for the record...

Toronto: 30 cm of snow and grey skies.
Vancouver: 10C with a week of sun following today.

the first snowfall is coming... can't wait :D

A couple species of cacti grow natively here in Minnesota - and we get 30" of rain a year and temperatures as low as -30ºF.

There are a couple species also native to Saskatchewan ;).

Having said that I'm glad that we are warming up over the next few days (to around 0). It was -28 when I left home for the university this morning (no windchill), and I'm fine with temps like that in December, January, and February... it's expected then... but this is too early for that kind of weather... The temp of -29 broke a record from 1959 (old record was -25.5).

Winnipeg should be getting it shortly... they usually get our weather a day or so later. Afterall they got the snowstorm after us, although their storm was worse.

This site shows EXACTLY what Americans think of Canada's weather all year!
LOL
http://static.userland.com/images/iseeIsay/CanadaClosed.gif

There are a couple species also native to Saskatchewan ;).

Having said that I'm glad that we are warming up over the next few days (to around 0). It was -28 when I left home for the university this morning (no windchill), and I'm fine with temps like that in December, January, and February... it's expected then... but this is too early for that kind of weather... The temp of -29 broke a record from 1959 (old record was -25.5).



That just shows how extreme the weather can be in Canada at this time of year. -29 C and blizzards in Saskatchewan and +18 in Nova Scotia. Of course neither of these cases fall into what is considerd normal temps for November 15 but if you're interested in the weather then there is never a dull moment. Unless of course you live in Vancouver :jk:

It has barely snowed in Toronto...and I heard of storms already in some parts of the united states....Even towns like powassan, south river (in Muskoka Area)...have barely been touched by winter

Just for the record...

Toronto: 30 cm of snow and grey skies.


what are you talking about? it's sunny right now and the grass is still green :cheers:

it's snowing in Hamilton at the moment... we're usually the last to get it. It's beautiful!

November 20 /2005
My back yard in Kamloops
Im not sure but is this a PALM?
when I planted it this spring , I planted 2 and brought one in and left one out .
the one I brought in has a Trunk now. the garden guy said they were palms, but Im not sure.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/rhino8484/RockGarsennov.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d85/rhino8484/Picture.jpg

Those are Cordyline australis, they are not true palms, however there common names include "New Zealand Cabbage palm". Unfortunatly they are will only grow to a large size on the west coast and even then they will freeze every 10 years or so.

Mature specimens
http://www.semencesdupuy.com/images/genres/206_ar.jpg

Those are Cordyline australis, they are not true palms, however there common names include "New Zealand Cabbage palm". Unfortunatly they are will only grow to a large size on the west coast and even then they will freeze every 10 years or so.

Mature specimens
http://www.semencesdupuy.com/images/genres/206_ar.jpg

Small cordy's seem to be all over the place, mostly potted though. I remember Ireland was absolutley covered in them, all very large too.

^^We have those everywhere here, as well as true palms, such as:

Fan Palms
http://floridata.com/ref/l/images/livi_ch1.jpg

Date Palms
http://www.w2k.co.uk/junk/tresco.jpe

Banana Plants (not really palms)
http://www.banana-tree.com/catalog%20images/image1243.jpg

And people seem surprised when they hear the UK has palms.

http://palmtrees.cybersites.ca/gallery/albums.php

More pics of palms in BC

Ill see how long this one lives in my back yard.

no matter how many palms pics you guys have posed I still believe Canadian weather is lousy. Cheers from Longueuil where it is -4C and blowing snow. Actually would not mind Atlanta right now.

Actually would not mind Atlanta right now.
It's 14°C here in Saint John, NB right now and 19°C in Calgary, AB. It's 6°C in Atlanta! :)

^^ fuck off
;)

Well ... you guys have a storm going your way

yeah it was +12 in regina yesterday... coming from -30 its quite the jump in 3-4 days :)

it's snowing in Hamilton at the moment... we're usually the last to get it. It's beautiful!

Algonquin, who are those girls in your avatar?? They are hot, especially the brunette with the pig tails and open mouth. :) If Algonquin can't answer, can any other Canadian tell me who those cuties are?? Just curious...

I had no idea that palms grew all the way up into Canada....wow.
We have misconceptions on weather within our own country!
I always thought that Minnesota was cold, even in the summer. Then I visited Minneapolis a few years ago in July and it was just as hot and humid as here in North Carolina!
I have found that there will be similarities concerning weather between places even hundreds of miles away.

I know about the Canadian Climate, but you make it sound warmer than it actually is, if it wasn't the case 90% of Canadian population would not be concentrated within 300 km of the U.S. border. It is so, because the majority of the Canadian territory lays within the subarctic climate zone and the area along the southern borders falls within the temperate zone. Southern Ontario and southwestern British Columbia have the mildest climates and greatest population densities in Canada but those are not large areas. Did you know that Harsh winters in Manitoba can bring temperatures as low as -53°C/-63°F. Average summer temperatures range from 8°C/46°F in the far north to more than 22°C/72°F in some parts of the far south, for comparison, in the United States average summer temperatures in southern portions are even 13° higher (35°C / 95°F), not to mention average winter ones. So generally Canada is a cold climate country and it is not a misconception.
As for palm trees in Vancouver, tropical palm trees do not naturally occur at that latitude and climate, and the ones that have been planted and grow there are dwarfish and require special care.

Well, parts of Saskatchewan range up to an average summer high in the high 20s (for example Regina's in July and August is 26).

And the -53 you speak of happening in Manitoba also happens here in Saskatchewan, but that is NOT a normal winter temperature. Sure we have some days we have gone below -60 with the windchill, but those are only during extreme cold snaps. The average winter lows in December, January, and February are in the -18 to -21 range. Yes, it's colder than the states - we are further North afterall - but it's a far cry from the -53 that you make sound normal.

And as for BC yes they have mild weather, but Toronto and that area has some pretty extreme weather too, not as extreme as here, but you can't really compare their winters to Vancouver's/Victoria's.

And as for summers the highest recorded temperature in Canada also occured in Saskatchewan. And I believe there was an article I read on SSC sometime that was saying Saskatchewan gets the most days above 30 Degrees in Canada.

Alaska is also part of the states and I'm pretty sure it gets colder there than it does where I live. ;)

I excluded Alaska from my comment, since it is not really part of Continental U.S. If I were to include Alaska, Hawaii and let's say Puerto Rico it would make the average look bizarre. But it is true that many people in the States consider Canada to be Greenland, but not all of them are ignorant. To be honest, Canada and the United States are so vast that it is difficult to speak of one climate. Most Americans when think of Canada are not aware of the regional differences. As for me, I love snow and four seasons :)

Yeah... the funny part is that I'm not all that far away from Montana and North Dakota, yet, since I'm in Canada the termpertatures in people's minds always drops at least 10 degrees just because of the border.

And for the record, my favourite season is winter :)...

The misconceptions Americans have about Canada's weather don't bother me so much, but the misconceptions Canadians have about their own weather is irritating. At least those from the people in southern ontario.

Especially the summers. Every summer I hear people whining about how "hot" it is. Even though the temperature is only around 30 degrees or so. In fact, at the height of the "heat wave" last summer, the temperature usually topped out at about 34 degrees or 93 degrees celcius. That is not that hot, and on most days of this so called heat wave, it was one of the coolest spots in the inhabitated parts of North America, apart from the Pacific Coast and the Prairies of Canada.

I remind people of this, than they go, "oh, it's the humidity" blah, blah. True, humidity makes warm to hot temperatures far, far worse. But not everyday is humid. Many days last summer, people would be complaioning about how "humid" it is. Some of these days it was humid, other days, we would be in the middle of a high pressure system with about 35 percent humidity. But, people, being the idiotic creatures that they are, are so programmed to beleive that humidity is a factor everyday that they automatically assume it to be there when it is not.

Besides, ontario summers don't come remotley close to either the brutal heat/humidity summers they get in the south, or the 110 degrees they get in much of the west. In fact, Ontario summers don't even compare to much of the midwest not surrounded by water like we are.

Than there is the "Tornado Alley" idiots who think they are living in this dangerous tornado alley. I suppose technically the southwest ontario 401 corridor is the "tornado alley" of Canada. It is on the extreme outer fringe of the real Tornado alley of North America, however.


Just some pet peeves of mine. As a weather junkie, it gets on my nerves when it probably shouldn't.

As for palm trees in Vancouver, tropical palm trees do not naturally occur at that latitude and climate, and the ones that have been planted and grow there are dwarfish and require special care.

They are not dwarfish(they can reach 30-50 feet) nor do they require special care. They are from the cool mountains of China so Vancouver weather is IDEAL for them.

^ Dwarfish and require special care? Not at all! They thrive in this climate actually; i've never seen them protected over the winter.

Also what must be taken into account with the hundreds of palms planted in this neck of the woods, is that most of them have been planted within the past 10 years. When these trees fully mature they will be 30-50ft. in height, as stated above.
On another note, has anyone ever got a pic of the house on King Edward between Cambie and Main on the north side of the street that has two great trachys about 25ft high right beside the front door?

Imagine these at English Bay when they get upto 40 or 50ft.
http://www.hardypalm.com/photos/westend/BC202839229.jpg

^ I havent seen that house your speaking of, but this pic below is of a backyard on Cambie just north of 49th. This tree was planted in the 60's apparently and is about 35' tall.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b290/vancitypics/S3000005.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b290/vancitypics/S3000004.jpg

The misconceptions Americans have about Canada's weather don't bother me so much, but the misconceptions Canadians have about their own weather is irritating. At least those from the people in southern ontario.

Especially the summers. Every summer I hear people whining about how "hot" it is. Even though the temperature is only around 30 degrees or so. In fact, at the height of the "heat wave" last summer, the temperature usually topped out at about 34 degrees or 93 degrees celcius. That is not that hot, and on most days of this so called heat wave, it was one of the coolest spots in the inhabitated parts of North America, apart from the Pacific Coast and the Prairies of Canada.

I remind people of this, than they go, "oh, it's the humidity" blah, blah. True, humidity makes warm to hot temperatures far, far worse. But not everyday is humid. Many days last summer, people would be complaioning about how "humid" it is. Some of these days it was humid, other days, we would be in the middle of a high pressure system with about 35 percent humidity. But, people, being the idiotic creatures that they are, are so programmed to beleive that humidity is a factor everyday that they automatically assume it to be there when it is not - then you would know about heat and humidity.

Besides, ontario summers don't come remotley close to either the brutal heat/humidity summers they get in the south, or the 110 degrees they get in much of the west. In fact, Ontario summers don't even compare to much of the midwest not surrounded by water like we are.




I have to disagree with some of what you have said. When southern Ontario has a heat wave, it can be very uncomfortable - even relative to other parts of the continent. Southern Ontario - because it is surrounded by warm water during such times suffers from very high humidex. The smog doesn't help either.

Places like Las Vegas get very hot, but even at 105 deg. F, it doesn't feel all that bad outside because the humidity is low. Even in the summer much of Florida rarely goes above 95 deg.F. If you are near the Atlantic coast, you get a nice cooling breeze that you don't get in s. Ontario. I find that s. Ontario - during a typical heat wave - is more uncomfortable than Daytona Beach is during the summer. The Gulf coast of Florida lacks the cooling breeze that is associated with Florida's Atlantic coast so it is more uncomfortable during the summer. Much of one's discomfort relates to rapid weather changes. In other words, you can get used to the heat and humidity if you have the time to do so. With s. Ontario, you don't get much of a chance to do that, whereas here in Mexico, I do. People from the hot parts of the US come here in November (when it has cooled down) and complain to me about how hot and humid it is - when it feels nice to me. I just tell them you should have been here a month ago.

By the way, I have lived in The Bahamas, Mexico (Los Cabos), Daytona Beach, Las Vegas, San Diego and all over Canada.

we always joke around here in Buffalo...if Ontario was to annex western new york...Buffalo would be the tropics of Canada...hahaha

To rip off Mark Twain:

"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in Vancouver." Like San Francisco, I find the summers in Vancouver, after living in Toronto, on the chilly side. Most of the summer the temperature seems to hover around 20 degrees, only place I've lived where on the weekend you have to check to see if it's warm enough to go to the beaches or lakes. According to Environment Canada, out of 100 Canadian centres: These are the cities with the ten coldest summers:

Williams Lake
90th
20.97

Vancouver
91st
20.92

Corner Brook
92nd
20.23

Fort St. John
93rd
20.23

Gander
94th
19.72

Baie-Comeau
95th
19.52

Whitehorse
96th
19.16

Yellowknife
97th
19.14

St. John's
98th
18.67

Sept-Iles
99th
18.26

Prince Rupert
100th
15.67

The avg. summer temp's are below the ranks, Vancouver barely makes it to an average of 21 during the summer.

The ocean beaches in Vancouver are naturally chillier than inland and even at the height of summer it can be 18 degrees near the water, wish you had pants on instead of shorts. I also find that when the temp. does get around 25 or higher, people in Vancouver complain about "the heat". I believe the one day record high in Vancouver, ever, is about 32 or 33 degrees so I guess this isn't surprising.

Rob

^^Do you have the address for the entire listing? I would be interested to have a gander at it. :)

From the original post that started this thread: "Well a lot of Americans, believe it or not, think that as soon as you cross the border...lol...it gets freezing cold all of a sudden...I opened this to set the record straight."

...Not to worry. Most Americans don't spend much time thinking about the weather in Canada.

^^Do you have the address for the entire listing? I would be interested to have a gander at it. :)

This site has a lot of great information, can look at your city and how it places in all weather categories or look at how all the Canadian centres listed fare in each category.

Enjoy!

Rob


http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/weather/winners/intro-e.html

Thanks... I was looking through the site earlier, but couldn't find the ranking.

From the original post that started this thread: "Well a lot of Americans, believe it or not, think that as soon as you cross the border...lol...it gets freezing cold all of a sudden...I opened this to set the record straight."

...Not to worry. Most Americans don't spend much time thinking about the weather in Canada.

They seem to spend time worrying about an "Alberta Clipper". It's a cold front that makes gas/oil prices go up.

we always joke around here in Buffalo...if Ontario was to annex western new york...Buffalo would be the tropics of Canada...hahaha

a rather snowy tropics, don't you think?

I would imagine that the average Americans conception of Canadas weather has nothing on the average Australians conception of Canadian weather.

From the original post that started this thread: "Well a lot of Americans, believe it or not, think that as soon as you cross the border...lol...it gets freezing cold all of a sudden...I opened this to set the record straight."

...Not to worry. Most Americans don't spend much time thinking about the weather in Canada.
A: "Looks like a cold-front from "Canada" is going to give us some cooler temperatures over the next few days." -Various Northeast, Midwest Weathermen

B: "Fuck, shit boys! Better stock up on heating oil or natural gas before it goes up!"

we always joke around here in Buffalo...if Ontario was to annex western new york...Buffalo would be the tropics of Canada...hahaha

That is the stupidest thing ive ever heard, even for a joke. Shows the level of intellegence of whoever said that, and strengthens the misconception about Canadian weather. SouthWest BC would be the closest thing to the "tropics" of Canada by a long shot.

That is the stupidest thing ive ever heard, even for a joke. Shows the level of intellegence of whoever said that, and strengthens the misconception about Canadian weather. SouthWest BC would be the closest thing to the "tropics" of Canada by a long shot.

True that. The closest thing Canada has to the tropics are areas like SW B.C. or Sable Island and these places are about as far as ya can get from being tropical. I once had some guy tell me, when I was living in Ottawa, that Ottawa is so much more warmer then Halifax in the winters because Halifax is close to the ocean and cold winds come from the ocean.