They say that April showers bring May flowers, but Mother Nature didn’t wait until April this year and instead poured an enormous amount of rain and freezing rain on us over the weekend, which, when combined with chilly evening air and some healthy winds, resulted in significant damage to trees and power lines throughout the region as that rain turned to ice on tree branches and hydro wires, weighing heavily, and bringing some down.
It was a very busy weekend for first responders from police officers to firefighters to paramedics, as well as for municipal and county roads crews, not to mention hydro workers, as the downed lines resulted in power outages for many.
On Monday the municipality provided updates on social media informing that municipal crews were out responding to fallen trees and road closures caused by the freezing rain and strong winds, advising that cleanup efforts would take several days.
The military base was also impacted, posting a notice that due to a power outage, the base was closed to civilians on Monday.
The temperature remained below zero to start the week, but the forecast for Thursday, the day this column is published in print and online, is for plus 14 Celsius.
Such is the nature of spring, when we can have some frigid, snowy days followed by double digits above zero, only to be followed by another round of chilly air and falling flakes of snow.
Fear not, however. Though early spring can be a mixed bag of weather, the warmer air is on the way as are the spring flowers, and the bright sunshine that we all love to see when the warmer months arrive.
The spring season means load restrictions on our bridges and copious amounts of sand and grit being tracked into our homes and workplaces, but that sand and grit will soon be gone, washed away by spring rains or swept up by municipal crews, and before we know it April will be behind us, and the load restrictions will be lifted.
Spring in Ontario is also peak pothole season, something I have heard and read much about from locals who early in the season are already fed up with potholes and the bumpy rides they provide. The transition from cold to warm air reveals a number of new potholes each year, and municipal and county crews will be busy in the weeks to come patching the worst of the potholes. As hard as they might work, however, those roads crews are unlikely to keep pace with the numerous complaints that will be made on social media that will fuel much debate, which will further fan the frustrations of many.
While potholes and unpredictable weather might be the worst aspect of spring, on the upside, as the warm-ish days mix with the chilly days, we are increasingly able to open our windows to allow fresh air to flow through our homes. And once those windows are thrown open, for many of us it is time for some spring cleaning. My grandfather once told me that spring was the season to get some work done so that the summer could be reserved for fun. So for the whole of my life, I have seen spring as a season to tackle projects, and to prepare for the fun summer months.
Whether you are doing some spring cleaning, or some maintenance on the car or the lawnmower, the increasingly warm sunshine combined with the sound of birds chirping can make it feel much less like work.
Springtime isn’t just a busy time for we humans. Our local wildlife become more active, bears are coming out of hibernation, the raccoons are back in the neighbourhood, and a host of other creatures big and small are busy gathering food, building nests, or are on the move heading for their summer homes. If your springtime activities include some hikes in the woods, you should be aware that everything around you in those woods is coming to life, getting into their spring and summer routines, and you are a visitor on their turf, so be respectful, and be careful.
Also getting busy this month will be our local political parties who are hitting the sidewalks and knocking on doors to get their message out for a federal election that will be held on Monday, April 28.
As I wrote in our print newspaper last week (The 3Rs…Rants, Raves & Rumours), unfortunately, much of this election campaign will be about the United States and current President Donald Trump, who has embarked on a trade war with Canada and Mexico, oh and Europe too. While he has been at it he has made repeated comments suggesting that Canada’s issues with the good ole USA could go away if we would simply agree to becoming the 51st state. Trump’s threats to our sovereignty and our economy have managed to bring opposing parties together in a united fight, and they have brought everyday Canadians together with an issue upon which we can all agree: Canada is not for sale. Canada will never be part of the United States. Canadians take our sovereignty seriously.
Articles that I have read over the past couple of weeks suggest that the cost of living and the unwelcome trade war are among the biggest issues facing candidates and their parties in this election, and to be clear, the cost of living was very much a top of mind issue for Canadians prior to this silly trade war that will only make things worse. Among the other top issues for voters in this election are health care, affordable housing, and climate change.
This unexpected and early federal election comes after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigned as leader of the Liberal party, and at the time of his resignation, the Liberals were far behind the Conservative party in national polls, but since that resignation, and the Liberal party’s selection of new leader Mark Carney, that has changed significantly.
Prior to all of the chaos from south of the border, it had appeared that whenever the next federal election was called, the Conservative Party was likely to form the next government. The trade war and threats to our sovereignty by President Trump have made a difference however, and the Liberal party has stormed back in the polls, making up significant ground. Polls that I have seen this week suggest that the Liberal party now has a slight lead over the Conservatives (the first lead they have had in national polling since 2021), whereas they were behind by some 20 points just a few months ago.
So the joy of spring will be interrupted by a federal election, which means that for most of this coming month we will be bombarded with political messaging from all parties, and by the time we have elected a new federal government the month of May will almost be upon us.
