Saskatchewan newcomers prepare to face the cold winter temperatures

Winter can be challenging for even the most experienced living in Saskatchewan, but for immigrants coming from warm climates, the cold temperatures can be a daunting battle.

Members at the Regina Immigrant Women Centre (RIWC) are trying to ease the transition.

“We always organize some information sessions where we prepare the people for this cold weather,” Poonamdeep Kaur, the RIWC zone coordinator said. “We prepare them what type of clothing they need, how they can get their warm jackets, snowshoes, gloves and all that.”

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Global News spoke with multiple immigrants around Regina about the cold weather and some are certainly more of a fan than others.

“I knew it was going to be cold,” Andrew Odibi said as he recalled making the decision to move to Regina. “Before Christmas, I think the weather just wanted to give us a nice holiday. But now it is really changing.”

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“It is extremely cold,” Mahad Mahut, an immigrant from Bangladesh said with a shiver. “I feel extremely cold. -30 degrees is very tough for us.”

“From where I came from, it never went below zero. It is normally 25 C,” Hermen Sing from India said. “The first few days were difficult, but I am getting used to it.”

Saskatoon’s Open Door Society is also educating immigrants about appropriate clothing and how to handle winter.

“We talk about safety in general like driving in the winter or making sure our homes are ready,” Ali Abukar with the Saskatoon Open Door Society CEO said. “We provide information from a safety perspective as well as practical information about how to be safe in the winter.”

With temperatures expected to continue to drop throughout the week, everyone is encouraged to layer up — especially if it’s your first Saskatchewan winter.

Both the RIWC and the Saskatoon Open Door society say they will continue to offer resources to educate immigrants on how to survive the cold.

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