What’s winter like?
Posted on 05 September 2009 by J Lane
Just recently, the most pervasive question has switched to “what do you do in the winter/what are winters like?”
Having moved here from Alberta where multiple days of -30 degree weather are a given, winters on Mayne Island are a dream come true. It rains quite a bit, rarely snows (although last year was an exception) and the temperature only drops below freezing for a few days. The population of Mayne drops to about a thousand people, and some of those people rarely leave their houses.
If you’ve planned ahead in the spring or summer, you’ll have a good stock of firewood built up. Last winter, we found that we had a fire burning most days, and it really helped to cut down on the electric heating costs.
For me, it’s an ideal time to buckle down and get work done. The outdoors aren’t really calling to me, so I can stay indoors and focus my efforts on computer work. I’m a big fan of staying in and watching movies, as opposed to going to the theatre, so that works fine.
The other bonus is that there is rarely an endless block of nothing but rain. It will break several times a week, and then the kids can get outside to burn off some energy. When we lived in Alberta, the temperature/wind just wouldn’t allow that for long stretches of time.
Winters are quiet and cozy. I actually prefer them to the hectic pace of the summer months.
This blog is such a great idea – I’m doing my research now and planning on finally moving to an island in about 3 years. Most of the info on the web is for tourists and there isn’t very much about the nitty gritty of island life. Making a living, the politics of the place, the drawbacks, the surprises. So thank you!