Preparedness (Page 4)

Pregnancy can be a lot of things, exciting, terrifying, emotional, gassy - but no matter what, it means taking steps to care for yourself and your offspring.

The sun is getting stronger, winter gear is slowly diminishing, blossoms are beginning to show, hope is starting to grow – it’s springtime! In Canada, there are a few things to keep in mind to be ready for specific emergencies the new season can bring, such as increased risk of flooding as snow melts away.

Home fires can happen anytime and anywhere but are most likely to occur during winter in Canada. According to the Commissariat aux incendies de la Ville de Québec, 4 in 10 fatal home fires occur between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., when the household is asleep.

Fifty-two years ago, on March 4, 1971, part of Quebec was paralyzed by the ‘storm of the century’. Although several other powerful storms occurred in the 20th century, including the very memorable 1998 ice storm, the 1971 storm took the title due to a particularly intense mix of harsh conditions. Here are other historic snowstorms from across the country.

Maybe it’s happened to you: You’re skating along the frozen surface of a lake, when CRACK! You see a fracture in the ice shoot out from under your skates. Suddenly you’re wondering… How thick is this ice? Should I be this far out? Tips from Canadian Red Cross ice safety expert Lynn Kolba for having a safe day on the ice.

More people have been heading into the wilderness to keep themselves active throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and that hasn’t slowed since winter began. While a day on snowshoes or skis is a great way to fend off cabin fever, it does come with some risks. Here are some tips for planning and packing for a safe winter excursion.

There are two extremes in our own perceptions of our winter driving capabilities: there are those who it barely phases, moving deftly from summer to winter driving with nary a care other than switching to winter tires OR those who are gripped with panic, frozen in fear if you will, at the idea of driving on slippery, icy roads that no longer have discernable markings making you dependent on the car ahead of you for as long as you can see it.
Where do you fall on the spectrum?

Being stuck at home has us all trying random new things. There was the sudden obsession with home-made sourdough bread that swept the internet earlier this year, and a lot of people have turned to perfecting a craft. I don’t particularly enjoy being in the kitchen, so my lockdown saw me learning to play the ukulele.