My Favorite Season?

Recently having spent a few welcome days relaxing by the lake in cottage country, I couldn’t help but conclude that summer was my favorite season!  I mean what is not to like about sitting on the dock, reading a book, soaking in some rays and sipping an umbrella drink?

Of course there were a few worries, such as when to re-apply sunscreen, or replenish the ice in my glass. It all seemed a bit surreal, sitting there, reflecting back to the deep freeze of last winter, and that forty day run of sub-zero temperatures. I remembered the day when walking my dog along the frozen shoreline of Lake Ontario I spotted a coyote ambling along the ice flow 100 yards from shore. At that moment it seemed like winter had taken permanent hold, and that summer would never return. Now just a few months later I find myself sitting by the lake, in a summer swelter. It was like I was on a different planet!  

Having the opportunity to travel coast to coast in this amazing country I am always struck by how we as Canadian’s can be so diverse, yet so very much the same. Shaped by geography, local history and a broad cultural fabric you have to marvel how we all came together under the singular banner of Canada. Many will say we are united by our love of hockey. But having experienced the four seasons in almost every part of Canada I think there is a good case to be made that what unifies us most is our climate, and in particular our shared passion for summer.

From High Level, Alberta to Thompson, Manitoba, to Geraldton, Ontario to St. John’s Newfoundland…we Canadians spend a lot of the year looking forward to and planning for the day summer finally arrives. And when it does LOOK OUT! Whether it is time at the cottage, canoe tripping, or a backyard barbecue with friends…summer is serious business!

But what about the other seasons, where does it leave them? If given a vote, would we choose to have summer year round? Well, some might, but I’m not so sure. You see Canada is a country of extremes. And so I ask: would summer be so precious if we did not have to endure the challenge and adversity of the Canadian winter? Like those February days when you leave the comfort of home and into the deep freeze, tilting into the gale, not the least deterred that ice pellets are making a mince of your forehead. At moments like those I love to yell out “BRING IT ON!” and forge ahead. As I see it, the weather gods designed winter to test our resolve, or what I like to refer to as the Bounce Back Factor (BBF). Canadians have the BBF in spades! What choice do we have when the days are short and sunshine scarce?

In my travels I have met many Canadians who embrace all the seasons. As for me, I love the color of the leaves in the fall, traipsing headlong into a raging blizzard, witnessing the rebirth that is spring and those long, sundrenched days of summer.

Living in Canada every season gives us something to look forward to. Especially summer. But you know what? I am not sure which season it is I like the most. Fact is I love them all. I guess that is what makes me Canadian.