Surviving Canadian Winter: A Sauvé Story

by Handy Acosta Cuellar

Half of the Sauvé Scholars Program has passed, and we, the scholars, are beginning to feel that the end is near.  That awareness has led me to reflect on the winter and year that has been thus far and to offer some advice.

The main entrance of the Sauvé House in winter

Though the white snow covers almost all of Montreal, we are experiencing crazy temperature variations — clear evidence of global warming.  But the cold days are still a factor, both in the streets of the city and in Sauvé House as well.  To avoid the cold temperature the scholars usually gather on the 3^rd floor to work at night and talk about politics, news or even the program itself.  It’s a really enjoyable moment to learn from my partner’s perspectives and culture as well as to reflect on the program itself.

Before coming to Canada, many people warned me about the winter season, especially coming from Cuba a lovely tropical island.  It is the opinion of most all my Cuban friends that I probably will not survive my first winter and after the first snowstorm I will escape back to the island.

The truth: it is not that bad. 

In fact, you can enjoy the winter season. All you need to do is embrace the outside and try to do the same that Canadians do. That includes skating, skiing (cross country and alpine), snowball fights or just walking in the snow.  So my advice to you is not remain at home, but rather to take the initiative, explore and enjoy some outdoor activities.

Fist day skiing at Orangeville, Ontario. 

During this winter I had the chance to visit other provinces. I traveled to Nova Scotia and Ontario by train. It was an amazing experience that I strongly recommend. During the winter the Canadian landscape is totally gorgeous and the whiteness of the trails gives you an entirely different perspective of the geography.  I stayed almost 2 weeks with friends and host families, spending Christmas and New Years eve together with them. During my journey from the wild coast of Halifax to the mountains near Orangeville, I realized that Canadians are an incredible people.  Each person I met was open, warm, friendly and very welcoming.  Just by chatting I learned about diverse topics, from sustainable agriculture to zen meditation, from cross country skiing to soccer, and much more. 

Which leads to my second piece of advice: make friends and travel beyond Québec.

Field trip with colleagues from Dalhousie University in Cristal Crescent Park, Nova Scotia

Quebec, of course, also has much to offer.

Don’t suppose that everything is calm at Sauvé house.  The hokey season has started and my friend Jonathan has become crazy about it. If fact he organized a cultural night and managed to get most scholars into the Canadian passion for this game.  Now I am a fan of the Canadiens, the Habs as they are called, the local team and by far the best of the league.

Learning urban agriculture and composting in Montreal. 

Some final observations from this post are living, experiential statements about how “old man winter” can affect our brains. We learned how to compost our waste in the middle of the frozen park across the street thanks to Sauvé House staff Valerie, and Eco-Quartier McGill representative, Peter.   Even in the depths of the frigid cold, we have taken our first steps towards making the Sauvé House greener.

Yet another reason to love and enjoy the winter.