What Does a Winter Hike Look Like in Victoria, BC?

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This past Sunday, some friends and I got together for a hike up Mount Finlayson, in Goldstream Provincial Park. In what seemed like the first sunny day in months, all were anxious to get outside and enjoy one of the best reasons to live in this part of the country. The temperature was a mild 10°C – I was in a short-sleeved T-shirt, the sun was shining, and everyone we met along the path seemed to have a big smile on his or her face.

At last check, it was -13 in Toronto, and -28 in Winnipeg. [Warning: Obligatory smug British Columbian remark to follow:] But not to worry Manitobans, it’s predicted to “warm up” to -3 in the next couple of days.

Having grown up on the coast, I can’t fathom how cold a “real” Canadian winter is. I feel lucky to live in this wonderful part of the country where it’s never too cold in the winter or hot in the summer. Two of the members of our group on Sunday came from Winnipeg a few years ago, and are likely to be posted to another military base this year. Understandably, they’d rather not.

–Tim Ayres