Living on the Canadian prairies, I’ll share something with my readers out east, particularly Ontario. We snicker when you get dumped with snow. And we make jokes about you on radio and TV when it dips to anything below -20 and your community is in shock. I know it doesn’t appear very nice, but it comes from a good place.
Here in Saskatchewan, we’re a hearty people. We ensure weeks of endless -35 to -40 windchills (not days, weeks!) and our winter blizzards can be so intense they bury us in snow within hours. But, as we always do, we bundle up, and we dig out. So, when we get the opportunity to not be jealous of our eastern friends, we enjoy it for what it’s worth (sorry).
Tide travelled across Canada to meet real Cold Weather Heroes and document their stories of everyday heroism. You can now visit theweathernetwork.com to see how a crossing guard, zamboni driver, search and rescue team, fisherman and linesman do their best in the cold! I’m sure many of you can name several people in your own community that you would classify as a Cold Weather Hero.
Given the opportunity to present a local Cold Weather Hero with a gift of appreciation from Tide, I had several people on my list that I’d like to thank. So, for me, it was a matter of who I bumped into first (I’d have given all three a thank you gift if I could!)
The first is a neighbor right on my bay. Since we’re off a main road, chances are slim to none that a snow plow would come in to our bay at all. No worries on that, however, because our neighbor has his own little tractor to clear the snow for all of us AND then pile it at the end of the bay – now all the kids on the bay have their own snow hill!
The second is a local gas attendant. Every time I’ve visited, in the most bitter days of winter included, he’s been happy, chatty, and makes me smile. If he can enjoy his job in -30 wind pumping my gas, surely I can’t get too grouchy about a late email or frustrating blog post I can’t seem to finish. However, the person I ran into first was another Cold Weather Hero in our neighborhood.
My children’s school custodian happened to be in the hallway that morning, and I was happy to give him a Tide Cold Weather Hero package as a thank you for everything he does at the school year round. Shoveling, dealing with slippery ice outside the school doors and ensuring it’s sanded, putting out traffic cones so the school bus area is kept free, and countless other outdoor activities that we don’t even know about, he does it year in and year out. He was happy with my little gift, thanks to Tide, and said it’s the brand his wife uses! And? He knew about the Tide Cold Weather Hero videos on The Weather Network so that was great! I loved being able to make someone’s day with this small gesture, and now I’m giving my readers and Twitter followers the opportunity to do the same!
Five of my readers are going to win a Tide Cold Weather Hero bundle so they can then gift it to someone in their community. You can enter below for that chance. Also, if you follow me on Twitter (@FeistyFrugal) I’ll be randomly asking followers to tweet me on the #TideColdHero hashtag this week and choosing 5 winners from those tweets!
I would love to gift it to our Post Woman!
I know who could use this Tide Bundle..would love to give it away 🙂
Thanks Heather but to be eligible to win we’re asking that you share who you’d gift this to!
the crossing guard, he’s for a different school but helps the our kids as well, he’s there almost all day, he used to wait for the bus but took to long and was noticing it was faster to walk great guy, and I love our post woman as well so it’s a hard one
Our Cold Weather Hero in my town is a lovely lady who through rain,hail,snow and ice rescues unwanted Cats/kittens.She does this out of her love for animals and asks for nothing in return.She will not rest till she finds a loving home for them.She now has a few others who are helping her raise money for Vet bills,she is just amazing.
I would gift it to our awesome postman, Jason! He always delivers our packages to the door with a smile and warm greeting. Despite the weather, he trudges on.
My mail man. He has delivered through some nasty weather this winter!
I would choose my garbage man! Every week, these men and women drive in an open door truck, haul heavy bags made heavier by frost and ice and have to maneuver around cars parked by snow banks and windrows, making the streets narrow.
The guy that shovels my driveway
My brother, he doesn’t work outside, but works in the freezer of a warehouse all year round. Brrr
our crossing guard is my #coldweatherhero she braves the snow and freezing cold every day to keep my kids safe
My Dad. ♡
Hes always had an outside job for as long as I remember. He worked in the oil patch when I was little, when I was 7 he started working for Alberta WheatPool, loading grain cars and worked his way up. He worked for grain companys til just last Fall, now he works as a line locator. Regardless of the job my Dad is a winter warrior. With his winter coveralls, heavy snowboots and worn gloves hes out there in the Alberta Prarie weather, 6days a week, 9-5. I have to say its pretty rare to hear him complain about the weather. He has a job to do and regardless of the weather, someones gotta get it done. And besides having a job that requires him to wirk outside, hes a Dad and a Grandpa who loves to spent time outside snowblowing the walkways or even building a snowman withhis grand daughter. Hes my #coldweatherhero ♡
My mother
I’d like to gift this to the crossing guard on my street who always has a warm smile for everyone.
My neighbour has a snow blower and has been clearing alot of driveways on our street, considering the level of snow he has been my hero this month!
My neighbour…he is always helpful with snow clearing.
My neighbour, Fred, shovels walkways and sidewalks for tons of people in the neighbourhood. He has inspired many in our neighbourhood to join in the shoveling!
my husband, he works out door, he works in camp all week and then when he comes home he snow clearing the neighbour hood.
With the terrible weather that we have been having, I would have to say our postman!
I would say the courier that delivers my mail ,even in horrible weather conditions! 😉
My dad is my cold weather hero. He is a farmer and has to brave the frigid temperatures every day to keep the farm running and livestock fed.
My mom and step-dad who have moved an hour north of us in no man’s land 🙂
id love to nominate my daughter’s school crossing guard, what a nice sweet lady
I would like to give this bundle to the principal at my son’s school. Regardless of weather, she is out there every single morning greeting the kids and parents. She makes sure the kids get to school safely and reprimands the cars that do the illegal drop offs right in from the the school.
My letter carrier is a cold weather hero. She is here in all our crazy weather.
We don’t have mail delivery here, so I have to go with the snow plow drivers here. They are always getting the snow out of the way, then moving the piles so we can see.
I’d share this with my neighbour who has kindly used his snowblower on my sidewalk and driveway countless times.
My dad. He delivers newspapers and packages in the worst of weather. He always does his job.
My mother she always takes care of shovelling the snow.
I’d love to gift it to another parent who walks her kids to school and back everyday rain or shine. Luckily it doesn’t get that cold here on the Sunshine Coast in BC but it does rain A LOT!
my son, since he wasaround 13 he would go and on his own shovel our driveway and also the elderly neighbors driveways and walk way! One year he went out early Christmas morning and did the elderly neighbors driveway!
I’d nominate the crossing guard in my neighborhood, she’s always out there no matter how bad the weather gets to make sure nothing happens
My mother as she always takes care of shovelling the snow.
My mailman, he is always cheerful and pleasant
My husband – he shovels the neighbors driveways all the time!
I would love to give this to our mail lady, Jen. No matter what the weather is like she always has a smile and has time to chat for a few minutes. We can always depend on her.
The boy’s bus driver. Most times when the weather is really cold she not only does her route, but the route of another driver as well (the other bus tends to not start on really cold days) and she never complains and always has a huge smile on her face.
I would gift this to my daughter’s crossing guard at school – she has to work no matter what the weather, and she makes sure our kids get safely across a busy street even when the weather is miserable, and always with a smile on her face.
I would say the garbage man who does a lot of walking due to snow banks on the court and the truck not fitting through.
my neighbour who snow blows everyone’s side walks
My neighbour. He is an older gentleman and he does all the walks around our townhomes. He’s always very pleasant, and is very helpful. =)
It’s a toss up between the School Custodian or the principal. The Custodian always does a great job making sure the kids have safe walk-ways, and the principal is always out there no matter how cold in the morning for the drop offs to help the kids out of the cars.
I would gift this to my husband.. he works indoors that’s cold but when he comes home he walks the dog. he also snowblows the driveway. When the neighbours are out of town he does theres. He also does his parents and grandmas. one year he would go to five different houses, put the snowblower on the trailer and go.
I would gift it to the Purolator guy who when delivering always gets delayed a few minute by my husband chatting about hockey when he delivers a package.
My husband had a heart attack last year and our next door neighbor shoveled for us out of kindness. I would love to gift back to him an his family!
My neighbour is my Cold Weather Hero. He keeps my driveway cleared of snow and is so reliable. Whether I have to go to work or I am coming home, I know my driveway will be snow free!
Our principal at my son’s school is out everyday monitoring the crosswalk personally at school to ensure that kids make it safe to and from school!
I would give it to my postman!!!
My cold weather hero is my next door neighbour, Craig. He always snow blows my 6 car driveway for me so I don’t have to shovel.
My neighbour as he helped me shovel some snow
My neighbour. He is always shoveling snow, and sometimes helps me with my driveway. He always has extra salt and will help me sprinkle some on my driveaway
A dear friend whose core reaction to any difficulty is to step in and help. She deserves a than-you gift more than anyone I know.
I would gift this to my friend April,a hard working Canadian woman ,working night shifts in a mine while taking care of her family and farm, while her husband is away working out west.She is definitely my Cold Weather Hero!
My boyfriend is my cold weather hero. He is always the one outside shovelling our walks and back..he will also do our elderly neighbors. And he will go aut and clean off my car so I do not have to worry about it after it snows So sweet and thoughtful
I would love to gift this to my Father. He’s up at the crack out dawn snow blowing, shovelling and salting all our driveways. He does his 80 year old neighbours across the street who is unable to do it herself. He’s my Cold Weather Hero!
My husband is my cold weather hero. He shovels snow for our elderly neighbors and he shovels snow for his mom. He also goes over there every morning to clean off her truck before she goes to work. What a sweet heart.
My husband is my cold weather hero! Not only walking to work, but shoving snow for the neighbours.
My neighbour is like super – neighbourhood guy. He keeps working super hard on his yard to the point where we have to try to do stuff just to keep up. A real Keener! But this winter he was out on our snowiest day digging out neighbours and pushing cars that had gotten stuck up the hill. So I guess he is a pretty good guy to have as a neighbour after all.
My moms neighbor is a cold weather hero, he plows her driveway every time it snows!
My neighbour, he clears the elderly peoples driveways in the area with his snowblower.
to all those crossing guards that are out in -30 weather making sure that the little kids don’t get run over and to my neighbour who plows his other elderly neighbours driveway
My neighbor who is always out shoveling for a few of us.
My mailman is soooo worthy! He’s also super nice!
It would have to be the mail lady that delivers to my door =)
My husband is my cold weather hero. after working all week in the cold and messy weather he comes home and helps shovel our driveway and helped our elderly neighbors shovel their roof.
Definitely our local school crossing guard.
My mailman. He brings me mail even in the worst weather, and he always knocks, not just sets it in the snow.
Working outdoors my heart goes out to all the cold weather heroes, but I would love to gift this set to the lunch monitors at the kids school, everyday they monitor the playgrounds in cold conditions as well as stand outside in the mornings and afternoons and assist with bus students 🙂
I would give this to my neighbor, he has been using his snowblower to clear the sidewalks and driveways all winter for us.
My daycare provider Katrina! who happens to also be one of my neighbours. She’s got a lot of laundry to do with the children she takes of daily. 🙂
My neighbour’s brother has a 4 wheeler with a plow. Every snow fall he clean the drives and sidewalks. He is my hero.
My parents are my cold weather heroes. They’ve been picking up my kids at school and shovelling my driveway while I’ve been working out of town
I would gift this to a snow plow driver, long hours and doing us a major service, sometimes very unappreciated. They work out on the icy snowy roads to clear them for us to drive safely!
I have to say my husband, works outside towing on weekends and helping people with their cars and comes home freezing and dirty
I would give this to my paper boy
I’d say my mother. She lives in a different city than I that in most of winter it is -25C or more with that windchill. She shovels her own walk and has no help.
Cheers.
I would gift this to the guy who shovelled our driveway for free. 🙂
The super in my building is a cold weather hero. His job involves a lot of outdoor work and he still has to do his work in these cold temperatures.
My mailman is my cold weather hero, he goes above and beyond and always has a smile, even on blistering cold days along with a friendly wave
My neighbor across the street who cleared our driveway for us while we were away on vacation.
I would gift this to my partner. He works on a farm/seed plant all year round whether it is -40 or +40.
My mom is my hero!! She does everything for me! I would gift this to her! <3
I would gift this to my sons bus driver
My mom is my cold weather hero, nothing holds her back, especially silly cold weather!
My mom! She walks my kids to school everyday!
I would love to win this for the animal rescue lady in our town who rain,snow or wind with sit outside and try to befriend a helpless animal and fix and home it.
My mother is the Cold Weather Hero in my community that i would like to gift this bundle to.
She is 69 years old and despite the weather she always goes to the senior home or soup kitchen to help out.
The post lady Rita.
My husband who snow blows and shovels neighbours sidewalks.
I would gift this to my mom. She does alot of work for the family.
Our neighbour is our hero!! He uses his snowblower to help us with our 5 car driveway!!!
My Awesome Girlfriend!