Do you ever stop and wonder what life would be like if you had taken a different path? January has been filled with moments where I could never have imagined the things we've found ourselves doing or the places we've been. Nothing here seems impossible, and if it does, we are surrounded by the type of people who help and encourage us, so that we can at least try something once! 


It’s safe to say we’re in the thick of winter now here in Ontario: the consecutive days of anywhere between -7 and -20 degrees Celsius, the constant snow flurries, or more recently full on snow falls, but most importantly the winter activities! Granted, not everyone loves this season – I think the lack of daylight is the worst thing. But when our native Ireland delivers a winter of vaguely warm, damp, windy and miserable days, that’s when you find us literally jumping at the first sight of decent snow and all the added fun. A friend recently told me that Canadians talk about the (winter) weather more than anything else, because it’s so changeable. For any friends back home reading this, I know you will agree, because I think I reference the Canadian weather at least once a day! I’ve found myself walking around the neighbourhood, never bored at the bright white view, the sight of people out shovelling their driveways and sidewalks, snow building up like a bridge on either side. The only downside? My driving. Even with the winter tires and four-wheel drive.


We’ve been lucky enough to have plenty of people willing to show us just what endless activities we can get up to, and let us borrow the gear that we need. Check out some of what we’ve done and are planning below:


Sledding/tobogganing

This has surprised me the most in terms of how popular it is with the girls! For around three weeks now we’ve been heading to various sized hills around London where kids (and adults!) of all ages are hurtling down snow and ice on colourful plastic sleds, inflatable rings, foam boards, flimsy sheets, and anything else you can imagine! What we've learned: your three year old might love going downhill, but be prepared for them to sit in a slump at the bottom, waiting for you to drag them back up ten times over! On an icy/snow packed hill it's good to have some ice cleats handy to hold your grip.


There are endless places to sled around London, but the ones we’ve visited so far are:
  • Northridge Public School: a gradual hill that glides down onto a sports field. Fairly tame for any first timers!
  • Basil Grover park: a longer, steeper run with a few bumps on the way down. Also trees and slopes on either side of the main hill – the perfect recipe for wipeouts as we learned the hard way…
  • Weldon Park, Arva: quite a short but steep hill with a decent run at the bottom. Trees and small ponds to look out for. We headed off toward the woods and made our own run.
  • Doidge Park: I can't mention sledding and not mention Doidge park, supposedly legendary for the activity.  We intentionally HAVEN'T gone here because all we've been told is "it's a good thing it's close to St Joseph's Hospital"! Maybe give that one a miss for now...

River/pond/lake skating (Coldstream Conservation Area)

This one blew my mind a little. When there are enough consecutive cold days the water freezes down to around 4-5 inches, creating natural skating rinks all around.
Many locals go out with snow shovels and groom these to allow for hockey games or just hours of skating fun. We managed to get some second-hand kids’ skates on Kijiji (the equivalent of Gumtree back home), and with the help of our hardcore adventure friends - Bill and Wendy - we got the girls onto the ice for their very first skating experience at Coldstream Conservation Area. Coldstream is a beautiful wooded area with around 3km of trails, a rare cedar swamp, picnic areas, and a play park, about 18km away from north London. A hidden gem to visit all year round!


It took some practice, but once Grace found her balance she was able to attempt to skate independently, and loved it! So much so that she’s been hassling me to take her again ever since. I’m not sure how many three-year-olds out there can ice skate, but I think Aoife’s happy to be left off that list for now.


As I skated along the ice, albeit in a sort of stutter-stop-glide-stumble fashion, it struck me how many people grow up with these winter activities as second nature. For us, it's a whole new learning curve but one we're happy to embrace while we've got the chance! 

It seems that skating is a pretty popular winter sport here in southwest Ontario: just the other day, I read that London alone has 17 community ice rinks open this winter. These are the ones maintained by the City of London and can be found in local parks, at the market, and in some residential areas. Although for me, there's something that bit more enticing about skating 'wild'!

Cross country skiing and snowshoeing

These are the two I can’t wait for. With recent snowfall and more to come, we’re planning on getting out there to attempt some groomed trails nearby. I can’t believe how many farms and ranches there are, both around London, and further North (where the better snow is!) that offer these activities every day throughout winter. On a recent trail run I came across a group with their snow shoes (a little bit like small tennis rackets for feet!) and poles, large steps making their way through the deep powder. That’s one way to change up your hiking experience this winter anyway!

Fat biking at Fanshawe

This one I tried right before Christmas, but I know so many people that have been biking the endless London trails and beyond since more snow arrived. Fanshawe Conservation Area is one of the most popular trails, with around 20km of winding, sometimes steep hills that look out over the expansive Fanshawe lake and dam. Never mind that I hadn’t been on a fat bike (imagine huge fat tires that can roll through pretty much anything) before; I hadn’t even been on a bike in around 20 years! Once I got used to it, there was a lot of fun to be had making our way through the forest and around the glistening lake. Not one for younger kids, but older ones would definitely enjoy this! There are so many ways to see Fanshawe, but I think biking is top of my list. 



It’s surprised me how many things are actually doable with young children in tow: we’ve let the older two attempt most activities and if they like it, great. If not, then at least they’ve been exposed to it. Paul and I often joke that we’re experiencing Canada together, apart, because not everything is possible for all of us at the same time, or a last-minute opportunity has come up that only allows one of us to go. But with a little bit of adjustment, or a friendly extra pair of hands around, we’ve managed to get us all outdoors participating in the winter craziness!



I'd love to know how you spend winter, wherever you are - drop me a comment in the box below!


Visit my Instagram @muminthemaple for more of our adventures!