Despite the fact this post isn’t specific to my Chicago observations through my Canuck peepers, I thought perhaps you would get a little chuckle or grin from these chilly photos. (All photos courtesy of the Facebook page of, “Meanwhile In Canada”).
Allow me to begin by introducing you to the fine Western Canadian sport of road skating. What’s that, you say? Why, it doesn’t matter what the weather; where there is a Tim Hortons to reach, there is a path:
I must say I have seen many, many roads in this skating condition. Tim Hortons is the building with the yellow, oval shaped sign looming in the distance. Rather a beacon for this Saskatchewan skater, wouldn’t you agree? I’m sure this gentlemen would have skated coffee-cup circles down the road if it meant getting his “Timmies”. This picture was taken in Moosejaw, Saskatchewan, one of Canada’s Prairie provinces.
Up next for your amusement is a magnificent representation of my Canadian heritage:
I quite agree with the caption of this picture; there can never be too many hockey rinks indeed! Take a look at this incredible sight! This picture is from the Province of New Brunswick. It appears there are more rinks than you can shake a hockey stick at. And believe me, shake the hockey sticks they do!
And now, just to poke a little bit of fun at the expense of my American friends and relatives (including my husband!) the following pictures are indicative of the way Canadians not only view how Americans do not like cold weather, but also how crazy Canadians tend to behave in cold weather:
And one more for good measure:
In Canada, whether it is a rubber tube, a plastic carpet, a sled, or just you and some imaginary equipment, have snow — will slide! ‘Tubing’, as it is often called, might be a bit more of a solid venture in the land of the North, as opposed to the South where tubing might entail a river ride while consuming a libation or twelve.
What’s that you say? You thought the term, “Crazy Canucks” was only an alliteration to bring a sense of jocularity to the polite, friendly, and unassuming citizens of the Great White North? Ah, this is indeed the perfect modus operandi of the typical Canadian. “Excuse me, can you please get out of the way so I may hurl myself down a snow covered hill in order to retrieve my skates! Why, I need to glide down Main Street, grab a Timmies, and head for the hockey rink, if you don’t mind, of course!” Yes, the crazy, fun-loving Canuck is rather a chameleon-type creature.
Polite, yet crazy enough to consume a frozen concoction of ice shavings and soda (a.k.a the “Slurpee” on the 7-11 circuit) in the middle of the coldest, bone-chilling weather not fit for man nor beast. Don’t believe me? In the winter, Winnipeg, Manitoba (or “Winterpeg” to those who know better) is one of the coldest inhabited cities on the planet. It also happens to be the “Slurpee Capital of the World” for the 14th year in a row.
Crazy? Maybe. However, if you ever need a drink, hot or cold, and you find yourself in the middle of a raging snow-storm; call us. We know how to skate, sled, or slide. We’ll find you. Politeness guaranteed.
The Chicago Files 