5 Observations About Canada

 

 

 

 

Everyone talks about weather — It seems everyone’s way to start a small talk is weather talk. It is also considered to be the safest topic as it’s not personal or awkward and everyone has a take on it. And weather can be challenging for someone new in this country. I have seen four different weather patterns — sunny, rain, freezing rain and snow in a single day. When I left home, sun was shining while temperature was near freezing. As the day went on, sun hid behind black clouds and it started raining. Soon, rain turned into freezing rain followed by few centimetres of snow. I made my way to home in the bus buzzing with passengers sharing their take on the crazy weather pattern. 

Sports. Everywhere. — I knew India is crazy about cricket. I know US is crazy about basketball, football and baseball. Before landing here, I had no inkling that Canadians are also crazy about sports. There’s a thing called Winter Olympics. I had read about it in General Knowledge books or glanced over a random headline in some sports magazine but I never thought I would be sitting in the vicinity of a group discussing Canada’s medal potentials in Winter Olympics happening in Pyongyang 2018. I never thought it could be a possibility on planet Earth. I realised I was so wrong as I spent overhearing two people talking about chances of Canada winning in figure skating. Before landing in Canada, I knew there’s a skating and there’s an ice skating. But as Winter Olympics commenced, I learned that there’s much more to skating. There’s figure skating, speed skating, skating relay and short track speed skating. And people discuss these sports with great passion. Then we have fans cheering for Raptors (NBA team), Blue Jays (baseball team) and Maple Leafs (ice-hockey team). Sports are everywhere irrespective of the time of the day or day of the week. 

Clean Sidewalks - The runner and walker in me is always glad to find clean sidewalks. Walking, according to me, is the most democratic way of reaching from point A to point B. Almost every road here in Canada is connected with sidewalks which are large, clean, with efficient drainage system and regularly plowed after heavy snow. Such infrastructure is a bliss for any walker. I get to burn few calories while enjoying different parts of the town at my leisure. 

Dedicated cycle lanes - Like sidewalks, dedicated cycle lanes are also in abundance in Greater Toronto Area. I have not taken any long cycle ride here but it is always a pleasure to ride a cycle while not getting worried about any impeding traffic. 

Not many cyclists or pedestrians, though - According to survey, roughly 7 million people have cycled at least once in 2013/14. This is roughly 24% of total Canadian population. Overall percentage of people who have cycled has decreased from 29% in 1994 to 24% in 2014. This decrease is despite the improvement in cycling infrastructure like increased dedicated cycle lanes. When it comes to walking, Canada is one of the most lethargic countries. According to one study, an average person walks about 5000 steps in a day while a Canadian takes about 4800 steps. And empty and lonely sidewalks stand witness to that.