It’s not just the cold. When people tell you to migrate to Canada from a warm country, they’ll tell you about the winter. “It’s cold. Buy a good coat. Get boots. Layer your clothes. You’ll be fine.” Technically, yes, that’s true. What they don’t always tell you is that moving from a warm, humid climate — like Jamaica, for instance — to Canada means your entire relationship with your environment changes. Things a born-and-raised Canadian might never think twice about suddenly become part of your daily life.
For someone coming from the Caribbean, here are some of the things I wish someone had put on the immigration checklist.
I recently talked about some of this on the radio, including the broader experience of moving from Jamaica to Canada and what that transition actually feels like beyond the immigration paperwork. Listen to the conversation here.
1. Your skin is going to notice. Quickly.
Cold outdoor air, plus indoor heating, can make the air incredibly dry. This is especially true on the Prairies. Saskatchewan’s winters are particularly cold and dry, and the Canadian Dermatology Association specifically identifies cold weather and indoor heating as common contributors to dry skin. So, you go from avoiding thick moisturizers, even as someone with dry skin, to feeling the skin on your back rip for lack of moisture. It’s everywhere, too — lips, hands, legs, scalp, hair. All of it: dry. You moisturize, and somehow, five minutes later, you’re wondering where all the moisture went.
2. Biological Adjustments
You might need vitamin D supplements.
You know you’re moving somewhere with less sunlight in winter, but you don’t really understand what that means until you’re actually living it. You’re bundled up, indoors more, daylight hours are shorter, and depending on the weather, days of fully overcast skies aren’t uncommon. In Saskatchewan, public health guidance specifically notes the limited winter sunlight and recommends vitamin D supplements during the winter months. This is one of those things that somehow doesn’t make it into the ‘Congratulations on your Canadian permanent residence!’ conversation.
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You don’t know these things until you live here.
And that’s one of the strangest parts of immigrating. You aren’t just learning a new country. You’re learning a new physical environment. Your skin, hair, house and wardrobe have to adjust.
And eventually, you adjust.
So, if you’re pondering the ins and outs on how to migrate to Canada from somewhere warm, consider this your reminder:
The cold is only the beginning.
Xo, Shandean
If you’d like to learn about life in Saskatchewan, Canada, visit me on YouTube.
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