Winter in Canada

Scots had to make sure they had somewhere safe and, importantly, warm to live during the Canadian winters.

The weather can be harsh in Scotland. We get snow, sleet and ice. It can be wet and windy but nothing could prepare the Scots for winter in Canada.

Canadian winters are notoriously cold. The temperatures can drop as low as minus 50 degrees Celsius. That is more than three times as cold as the freezer in your kitchen's refrigerator.

Many Scots were badly prepared for the Canadian winter. Immigrants often arrived with few supplies and their clothes weren't suited to the harsh winter months. Most immigrants arrived in summer and made the journey inland with relative ease, but they had to act quickly to build shelters before the winter set in. 

There are many different kinds of snow.

Snow could be heavy and wet, good for making snowballs but wreaking havoc on settlers who had to slog through the thick, mucky slush it leaves on the ground. Snow could be light and powdery, which was excellent for snowshoeing but even the mildest wind could make it swirl into thick clouds, reducing visibility to zero. Men died within sight of towns and houses in such windstorms, thinking themselves lost and far from home.

It was vital for Scots settlers to learn how to deal with these hazards as in many parts of Canada the snowy season lasted from September to the middle of the following May.

Surviving the winter

Carving a home out of the wilderness was no easy task.

Groups of families would often settle an area together to share resources and protection. Trees needed to be cut down and made into firewood and lumber, so axes, planes and saws were needed. Land often had to be cleared. Digging out stumps could involve a team of horses, with ropes and harnesses plus shelter and fodder to keep them through the winter.

The average man needed at least a rifle, ammunition, a hat, a slicker (a long waterproof jacket), a blanket, a kettle and a tin cup. This meant that Scots who arrived in the new world without any money had to go into debt before they found out if they could deal with life in the wilderness.

Once a home had been built, a family was on its own. They could trade for some items such as salt, sugar, tea and spices, but most settlers did their best to be self-sufficient. They made their own soap by combining lye from wood ash with pig fat and cooking it into cakes. Milk was made into cream, butter and cheese right on the farm and women made their own clothing, curtains and bedding by hand. Many Scots settlers in Canada also made their own whisky.

The long Canadian winters were a time for staying warm by the fire, telling stories, singing songs and making music. Scots communities shared their traditional songs and tales at ceilidhs and danced as the snow fell outdoors.

Photograph credits

The images used above are licensed under Creative Commons on Flickr by the following photographers: Mistr.John, Musée McCord Museum, Studiolit and ViaMoi.