Debate: Snow needs to melt away

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It’s that time of year again when snow falls in Metro Vancouver. For some, it is a wonderful time to catch snowflakes with their tongues, build snowmen, and go sledding. But for others, it’s a time of dread as it’s cold, gets dark early in the day, and of course, it snows. 

I’m sorry to all my fellow Canadians, but snow needs to melt away, and there’s so many reasons why. 

Snow may be beautiful to look at through your window, but that’s about it. You have to prepare for what feels like five years putting on all the gear you need to go outside from head to toe such as boots, a coat, mittens, and a hat. This doesn’t even touch on the freezing temperatures in which you have to wear layers and protect your face from the cold with a scarf. 

Once you head outside wearing your gear, it often feels like a world of chaos as buses get stuck and car accidents consume the roads,  a recent example being when it snowed a total of 33 cm on Jan. 17 and 18. Being worried you are going to slip and fall when taking a step should be the last of your worries. All this chaos could have been avoided if it had rained instead. 

However, when there is that much snow outside, it feels like you are marching through it, especially if you have short legs. It shouldn’t be a workout, unless you’re going to the gym, to head to places you need to be, such as the bus stop or campus. When there is both snow and ice, it feels like you’re playing a game of trying not to slip and injure yourself. 

Snow also takes away the colour our planet offers. Everything is covered — from green grass to naked trees, and animals go into hibernation. While this is Mother Nature just doing her job, it’s easy to miss the spring and summer months when you’re surrounded by grey and white. 

While snow can be a nice change of pace in small doses, I think my hatred for the white stuff stems from my elementary school years of delivering newspapers in the winter six days a week in Ontario. I loved getting exercise and reading the paper everyday, but it was always a challenge delivering newspapers in the winter. 

I remember on Thursdays I would have thick flyers to put in the newspapers and once they were all together, I would pile them on a sleigh to pull through the paper route. It definitely adapted to the situation, but it was challenging nevertheless with the snow and ice. 

I’m not the only one who feels this way about snow and winter. In a Leger survey in partnership with the Association for Canadian Studies (ACS) released last year, less than five per cent of Canadians chose winter as their preferred season. 

Snow can also make many feel like they are trapped at home and have limitations on what they can do. People don’t usually feel this way in the spring and summer as you can pretty much do anything you would like to. It can be hard to snap out of that mindset, but reminding yourself that sunny weather is just around the corner can help. 

Overall, snow needs to melt away for many reasons. But for now, zip up your coats, the warmer months will be here soon.