This is what is happening in many areas of Canada:
This is Vancouver, where I am fortunate enough to live:
Living in Vancouver has always felt like a small stroke of luck. Tucked between the Pacific Ocean and the Coast Mountains, our city enjoys one of the mildest climates in all of Canada. While friends and family across the country shovel driveways and bundle up against biting winds, we often stroll along the seawall under a soft drizzle, watching cherry blossoms prepare to bloom before winter has even finished its sentence.
This year, though, was remarkable even by Vancouver standards. We had no snow where I live at all. Not a flurry. Not a dusting. Not even that brief, slushy half‑hour that usually shows up just to remind us it’s still winter. The last time Vancouver saw a completely snow‑free winter was 1982, more than four decades ago. It’s strange to think that an entire generation has grown up without ever experiencing a winter quite like this one.
Walking through the city these past months, I found myself noticing the small things: green lawns in January, cyclists out in full force, and the steady hum of everyday life uninterrupted by icy roads or school closures. There’s a certain ease to winter here, and this year it felt even more pronounced.
I’m reminded, again, of how fortunate I am to live in this corner of the world. Canada is a vast and varied country—rugged, beautiful, and sometimes harsh—but Vancouver offers a gentler rhythm. The weather is just one part of it, but it’s a part that shapes our days in subtle ways: the outdoor walks, the early blooms, the sense of continuity through the seasons.
Not everyone loves our rain, but I’ve come to appreciate it. It keeps our forests lush, our air clean, and our winters soft. And every so often, like this year, it gives us a winter that feels almost like an early spring.
As we move into the warmer months, I’m carrying a quiet gratitude for this place I call home. For its mild winters, its natural beauty, and the simple comfort of knowing that even in the coldest season, Vancouver has a way of making life feel gentle.
