Temperatures have plunged to below -5 across Greater Manchester this week – but former M.E.N. writer Paige Oldfield has taken a look back after swapping the UK for somewhere much, much colder
When I left Manchester in March 2025, everyone warned me about the winters. I knew it would be cold, but that didn’t prepare me.
Here, there are days when it feels like I’ll never be warm again. And yet I can’t imagine living anywhere other than Toronto.
Temperatures here rarely climb above zero and I now class anything warmer than –12°C as a “nice day”. On New Year’s Eve it dropped to –24°C with wind chill.
It got so cold I ran into the nearest shop, convinced my legs were about to fall off. My once-piping hot coffee turned into a slushie, and I got windburn on my face!
And then there are the snow squalls – sudden, swirling bursts of snow I’d never seen back in Manchester – that made me realise how sharp Canadian cold can be. But I’ll give it to the UK – it’s a very different type of cold here.
Canadian winter is a dry cold, the type anyone who’s been skiing or snowboarding will recognise. Numbers like –20°C might look scary on paper, but it’s surprisingly manageable.
Back home, the cold is damp and seems to sink straight into your bones. One thing that’s been a real surprise is how my fiancé Robbie’s eczema has improved since we moved.
In Manchester, the damp, chilly winters used to wreak havoc on his skin. Here in Toronto, the dry cold has meant his condition has improved a lot.
Another shock was how Canadians treat heating. Back at our home in Prestwich, we only switched it on when we really needed it.
Here, heating is constant and Canadians really love to crank it up. In our downtown Toronto apartment, we can’t even turn it off.
Many landlords include utilities in rent because it’s just a necessity and not a luxury. There is no question about it.
It’s such a relief not to have to ration warmth like we did back home because bills were so expensive, however our heated throw from Lidl was a lifesaver and we miss it very much.
The city itself is built for winter – houses are well insulated, fitted with sloped roofs for snow to slide off and vents blow out hot air instead of traditional radiators.
Winter tires, snow shovels and snow blowers are standard equipment, and friend of mine even gets up at 3am to clear his driveway and helps his elderly neighbour while he’s at it. Canadians really do just get on with it.
One thing about Toronto is that the city makes it easier to avoid the cold when you’re out and about. There are underground walkways, heated transit stops and rarely any public transport delays.
Even when ice completely covers the streets, the streetcars (otherwise known as trams) somehow keep running, packed with commuters as if nothing has changed.
It never fails to amaze me that the roads can be completely buried under snow, with some cars trapped in what look like mini white mountains, yet traffic will be busier than ever.
The gritters do come round, but after a heavy snowfall, you’re really relying on people to clear and salt the sidewalks outside their homes.
Often they don’t, which means I find myself slipping and sliding all the way to the subway station. I commute layered in two jumpers, a coat, tights, knee-high socks, leg warmers, a knitted balaclava, gloves, ear muffs and snow boots. At work, there’s also a locker for everyone to change out of their snow boots into office shoes.
There are also warming centres that open for homeless and vulnerable people in the city that activate once it drops below -5.
And Canadians also don’t play when it comes to winter fashion. Here, warmth always comes before glamour with everyone in huge coats, thermal layers, wool socks, hats and gloves. It’s so cold that you don’t even care about what you look like. I’ve even ordered spiked ice grips for my trainers so I don’t have to wear chunky snow boots every day.
But I think the biggest shift is in the mindset. In the UK, a dusting of snow shuts the country down. In Canada, winter is just another season. I remember the excitement of my first snowfall here and now a day without snow feels strange. People play hockey, ski, sled or use the free outdoor skating rinks. Winters are so long here that adaptation isn’t optional – life just has to go on.
Paige Oldfield, 30, moved from Prestwich to Toronto with fiancé Robbie Bunting, also 30, in March 2025. She previously worked as a Real Life Writer for the M.E.N, now working for the Toronto Star
