GNS Has Fun in the Snow

February 19, 2021

Academics

GNS

Cold temperatures fell across the Capital Region last week, with February 10 being the coldest day and night of the year in British Columbia. The fact that the lowest temperature reached 10 degrees below zero shows that even places such as Victoria can get cold spells. February 13 saw the first snowfall of the year, in what turned the streets into a winter wonderland.

Snow has never gone without a major reaction from Victoria citizens, whether it be positive or negative. Some people spent entire mornings clearing away the snow from their driveways. Sr. Morales Gil, Spanish and Economics teacher, spent most of his snow day shovelling snow.

“We cleared our driveway for the first time,” he said.

Others built tunnels, snow forts, snow castles and of course, snow people. Some people, contrary to the cautionary drivers going at half the speed limit, sped down slopes and hills at top speed. “I went sledding, and I had a snowball fight,” said Mer Gould ’24.

Living in Victoria, snow is a rarity so it should never be taken for granted. Nevertheless, it can be dangerous, especially with slippery roads and sidewalks. Wise advice came from Sr. Morales Gil as he cautioned “I’m not that good at walking or driving so I would definitely say go as slow as you can.”

This year, Groundhog Day was on February 2, but their shadow sightings didn’t result in a consensus across Canada. Shubenacadie Sam in Nova Scotia predicted an early spring and Balzac Billy in Alberta predicted six more weeks of winter. Vancouver Island has our very own groundhog, Van Island Violet, but she has not made an appearance because she is still hibernating. So, with our groundhog celebrities not in agreement about when winter will come to a close, maybe we still have a chance of more snow in the coming weeks?