Seasons of Change

Eight

Since arriving in January I have been fascinated by the continual change of the Canadian landscape. I never realized how dynamic the change in seasons could be. In Australia, although we see a slight change in the colour of the grass and a variance in temperature and rainfall, the visual differences are minimal. In contrast, each season in Canada provides vast differences in the landscape and the way in which people conduct their lives.

I arrived in the middle of one of the longest and most severe winters on record.. nearly 2 meters of snow When I left Perth it was 41 degrees C and when I arrived in Toronto it was -21 degrees C. The trees were bare, the lakes were frozen and everything was white. The snow ploughs do a reasonable job of keeping the roads clear but that still leaves you to shovel the snow from your driveway, dig your car out and chip the ice off your windscreen.

Spring approached and within the matter of a few weeks the snow melted and the trees began to show hints of green. The white blanket disappeared and revealed the landscape that had been hidden beneath. It didn’t take long for the flowers to bloom and the trees to generate a dense cover of foliage. The birds returned from the south and the animals came out of hiding. It even seemed as though the locals came out of their own wintery slumber.

Summer brought excitement to the air and the waterways and
lakes started buzzing with activity. Folks headed to their cottages and the trip to Toronto that would normally take an hour could take 3 on a Sunday night. It is as though people need to fit a years worth of the outdoors into 4 months. The landscape is green and lush and teaming with life, the temperatures are warm and the water is clear and calm.

We are now nearing the Fall and the leaves are beginning to change to orange, red, yellow and brown. We will not be here for the complete onset of Fall but from what I have been told it is the most beautiful time to be in Canada. The leaves eventually fall from the trees, the temperature drops and locals start preparing for the next 4 to 5 months of hibernation.