Newcomers cope with Canada's extreme cold

Standing outside his apartment on Donald Street, Mohammad Basiri shields his face from the bitterly cold winds and blowing snow.

Basiricame to Ottawa from Afghanistan five years ago. He and his family have since embraced Canada's cold winters, but it doesn't make it any easier to deal with Friday's extremely frigid temperatures, he said.

"It's super cold, but there's no other way. We have to live with it," Basiri said, adding thatthe recent deep freeze is the coldest he's ever experienced. "I hope I don't see that cold anymore in my life."

Other newcomers living in the same apartment block were also shocked when they stepped outside Friday morning.

"In Syria, it's not this cold," said 11-year-old Ahmed Alodhi, a Syrian refugee whocame to Canada with his family last year."It's very, very cold. I've never seen that."

Ottawa endured a seven-day stretchof extreme cold warnings earlier this month. The warning was lifted last Tuesday, but the reprieve didn't last long, with another extreme cold weather warning issued Wednesday.

Enjoying the cold

A language instructor at the Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre, Margaret Kenney normally has six students in her classroom, but only one student made it to class Friday morning.

When cold is dangerous

8 years ago

Duration 0:37

Birgit Isernhagen of Ottawa Public Health shares the warning signs of frostbite and hypothermia as people in Ottawa endure another extreme cold snap.

Outside, the temperature was a frigid 24 C. With winds gusting at 50 km/h, it felt more like 50.

"They're not used to that feeling on the end of their nose.They've never even heard of anything like frostbite," Kenney said of her students, all newcomers to Canada. "Everything about our winter is brand new [to them], and it's kind of fun to see it through their eyes."

The lone student in Kenney's class, Vanessa Zapata,came well-prepared, wearing heavy winter boots, three pairs of leggings, a sweater, scarf and winter coat.

Since arriving in Canada last November to visit family members, Zapata has built a snowman, eaten a BeaverTail, and bought skates to venture out onto the Rideau Canal Skatewaywith.

But she saidshe never imagined it would be this cold.

"In my country, it's plus 20 and here it's 28," she said. "I'm enjoying it, because it's my first time. It's a different experience."

Suiting up for frigid cold

The Snowsuit Fund of Ottawa, now in its 36th season,helps families who can't afford to outfit their children for the winter and serveschildren up to the age of 15.

Families must qualify to receive a snowsuit, but they aren't free, costing $10 a piece. Families whodon't qualify for new clothing can help themselves to used items.

Arbour said the fund distributed 14,000 snowsuits by Christmas. She expects that number will reach 15,000 by February, adding that newcomers represent a significant portion of her clients.

Armour said newcomers generally aren't well-prepared for just how cold Canadian winters can get.

"The newcomers that come through our door, they're a little bit surprised. They don't expect this, and when we outfit them earlier in the season, we do tell them, 'Be prepared. It's going to be cold.' They don't believe us."

With a child's snowsuit easily costing more than$100 at large retail stores,Armour saidmostfamilies simply can't afford to equip their children for the cold.

"If you're living at the poverty line or below, you simply cannot afford that," she said.

How to prevent frostbite

"It's really, really, really freezing cold.My face feels like it's stinging already," Brigit Isernhagensaidjust minutes after stepping outside into the cold Friday afternoon.

The Ottawa PublicHealth(OPH) weather specialist helps other organizationsprepare for periods of extreme temperatures.

Isernhagen saidOPH has been working with organizations across the city to reach out to vulnerable communities, including newcomers who might not know how to cope with frigid temperatures.

Shehad some simple advice for anyone looking to stay warm this winter:

"Layer, layer, layer," Isernhagen said. "Be prepared. Check out what the weather is going to be like and dress for it."

More information on how to guard against frostbite and hypothermia is available on theOPH website.