What Winter in Canada is Really Like

Current international students share their honest experiences with Canadian winter.

There's no doubt about it: winter in Canada can be challenging. But it’s also part of the experience of studying in Canada and the best way to understand what to expect — and how to prepare — is to have current international students tell you more about their own experiences with Canadian winters.

International students at Laurier share their Canadian winter experience

Achintaya C., India: “You might be worried about the cold. It’s cold outside but as soon as you come inside a building, it’s warm because all buildings are centrally heated. It’s not bad. Honestly, you’ll start enjoying the winters. And when you have winters here, you learn to enjoy summers even more.”

Briona D., Vietnam: “The weather is surprisingly cold. You see a movie and there’s snow, but it looks so romantic. Here, it’s so cold. But other than that, it’s really, really nice!”

Ayanfe A., Nigeria: “Lucky for me, I’ve had experience with winter before, so I was kind of used to winter. But there’s a difference between a two-week vacation and a full month of winter. But I’ll say, invest in proper winter outfits and you should be fine.”

Riya L., Tanzania: “I knew it was going to be cold with the winter in Canada and, coming here, it wasn’t that bad. I just had to get my own gear and try to manage my own independent life.”

Hoang T., Vietnam: “I remember the first time I was going to see snow and I was excited. It’s like white stuff falling from the sky and I think that’s pretty cool. Have fun with the snow.”

Daniela G., Colombia: “Bring layers. It definitely helps wearing layers and buying a good jacket. But I can’t hate it because, as you go, it gets warmer, it’ll get comfortable.”

Abdulhakim F., Kenya: “I’m used to high temperatures, and I came here to negative 20! Wear at least three layers of clothes.”

Rachana B., India: “Winter is really fun, but it’s so much more important to take care of yourself. You need to keep yourself warm. You might feel a bit lazier and things might be harder, so it’s very important to take care of yourself. Give yourself all the treats that you deserve. This is my third winter and that’s the best thing that’s worked for me. I do things, take care of myself, and then things are good.”

So how do you get through a Canadian winter? Wear layers, dress warmly, enjoy the snow and, most importantly, take care of yourself. And remember, those cold winter days will make the warmth of summer even better!