April Showers

The difference between weather in Vancouver and weather in Toronto is insane. For starters, Toronto does not see nearly as much precipitation as Vancouver does. Instead Toronto's weather flips from un-bearably cold, too ridiculously windy, to way too humid for my sweating issues. Vancouver on the other hand, never experiences these extremes. Instead west coasters get rain –lots and lots of rain. Sometimes whole months pass by without any stoppage of falling droplets from the sky. And it is evident that Vancouverites are more then used to their wet climate.

Torontonians on the other hand are not. After grueling through the long winter that was these last four months, one would assume it wouldn’t be a big deal to see a little rain. Oh how wrong you are.

At the slightest indication of those falling droplets, the people of Toronto instinctively pull out their umbrellas and run for cover under the overhangs of store fronts and apartment buildings. I have never seen people walk faster then when it starts to rain in downtown Toronto. They will bare the negative temperatures and howling wind, but heaven forbid they endure a little precipitation.

I should also mention that the “rainstorm” Toronto is experiencing today, would be more appropriately classified as a light mist. I just walked about ten minutes from class, without a jacket, without an umbrella, and I was instantly dry upon entering the building’s elevator.

However, had I been walking down Robson St. during a “rainstorm” in Vancouver, my hair would no longer be straight and I would look similar to a bathed kitten. The reality is, while anyone and everyone uses umbrellas in TO, it’s only the soccer mom's watching Sunday games that use them in Van-city.

My dear Toronto neighbours, do not fear the rain. Lets be thankful it's not a couple degrees cooler and snowing right now. Put your rainboots on, find your spring time trench and embrace the slightly wetter streets. To quote my strict English pre-school teacher, “you’re not sugar cubes…you won’t melt.”