do you have a bit of a plan made up, where do you plan to be Dec - March? Weather/temperature varies greatly across the country and what you need may differ.

Most importantly though if you plan on being outdoors lots are good quality long johns, a wind & water proof winter jacket & water proof winter boots. Hat & gloves can be bought anywhere & will need this too.

What do you consider not too expensive, to get the good quality if you plan on being outdoors alot will cost you some $, there are other stores that will carry items but may not be the quality you need.

I plan to be in Toronto for few months from October to December then Montreal. I don't plan on being out spending my trip outdoors but as I am a tourist I want to see all there is to see and do which will involve being outdoors and using a lot of public transport I presume. I just dont want to get hypothermia or frost bite or anything severe!!

If you are going to be in the cities, being a tourist, you won't need the really heavy duty winter wear.

Warm boots are a must. Try not to get ones that are too bulky. You want to be able to do alot of walking in them. You can get insulated boots at any shoe store once you are here. You probably won't need them very often for snow, but definately for keeping your feet warm.

Gloves , scarf and hat are important too... and they can be bought anywhere. You can get them at a really cheap price if you are just wandering around the cities. Keep your ears warm.

As for a jacket, down is very warm, but can be expensive. You could look for a synthetic pile lined coat.

If you go to Eaton Centre when you get to Toronto , you should be able to find all itesm.

Or go to Bloor and Bathurst and check out HOnest Ed's for a really cheaper option, but you probably won't get quality there.

Good luck and have a good time.

Lots of thermals top and bottom work great with a very warm hat and gloves. You loose most of our body heat through your head and your hands and feet so keep those as warm as possible.

Tahnk you to all the posters for the advice!!!

hi - just a followup to tessky1's post. Are you planning on visiting Vancouver/Victoria, and if so, for how long? If your schedule permits, it might be better to visit V/V January/Feb/Marchish, as it is a lot milder there than the rest of the country.

Hi Deny52,

Winter in Canada is a funny thing (at least we find ways to laugh at it) it can come early or late. First Snow can happen in most areas anywhere between late October and early January. On average most cities get snow that stays at the beginning of December... and it sticks around into March or April.

Some cities are milder in temperature than others during the winter months... December is usually quite mild, with little snow in most cities (and sometimes none in Toronto). By January it is definitely WINTER in Canada. As other's have suggested you might considering going to Vancouver or Victoria during that period of time as their winter's are much much milder, and they get more rain than snow.

In Eastern Canada, Toronto is the mildest of all the cities... some years they hardly get any snow. While everything east of Toronto can be burried. Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City regions can be absolutely freezing. Having -20 Degree C. (or lower - Sometimes as low as -35) for a week or a month at a time is not uncommon. Maritime weather in Halifax and Charlottetown, never seems to get quite as cold as the others (just -20 or so).

Out West is pretty much more of the same... Winnipeg can be absolutely unbearable, with temps ridiculously low and for long periods of time... they occasionally will hit -40 or lower! Edmonton and Calgary are more like Eastern Canada. Once in awhile Calgary will get a chinook (a warm wind) and they'll be like a mid winter thaw.

As someone who isn't used to this type of weather you will find it more colder than someone who has grown up here and is aclimatized. Therefore it is very important that you get good quality gear.

As someone else suggested you'll need long underwear (aka longjohns) under your pants they'll keep you warm and keep out the bitter wind when you are outside. (And the wind is pretty bad in the aforementioned city cores). A hat (toque), scarf and mitts or gloves are necessary. You can find insulated mitts or gloves that work well at a sports store (they double as ski gloves).

For a winter coat I recommend that as you are doing the "touristy" thing look for a good quality ski jacket (vs a long wool coat). There are various brand names, but what you are looking for is a waterproof shell with a zip out fleece lining. The coat will run you somewheres between $ 150 and $ 300. The benefit to this type of jacket is that it is waterproof, layered for warmth, has breathable zips for warmer days, and can be taken apart and serve as a spring jacket or fleece.

As for boots, the most popular style with "the locals" is an insulated boot that looks like a hiking boot. Just like the gloves, you'll find that the most popular insulating product is called "thinsulate", it is lightweight but very effective.

You can find all your gear (except the boots) at any sporting goods store, but I will recommend you visit a store called MARKS WORK WAREHOUSE. You should be able to get all your gear in this one spot, (including the longjohns). Marks is a Canadawide chain and has a good selection, with a variety of colours and styles to choose from, and they have reasonable prices.

I suggest you buy your winter gear shortly after arriving in Canada (especially the boots). This will give you time to silicone spray them (if they need it - read the instructions - some do, some don't) so they'll be ready to go for the first snowfall (which as I said could happen unexpectedly). If they need silicone spray, you'll have to do it a couple of times during the winter season to keep them waterproof.

Cheers!

Wine-4-2

Thank a million Wine 4 2 for that excellent advise!!

Hi Deny52,

One more thing, remember that if your extremities get cold, the rest of you will be cold too. So the toque, mitts and boots are essential. Expect to pay about $ 100 for good boots, tell the people at MARKS that you want boots to keep you warm & dry as this is your first winter in Canada. And check out their socks... MARKS started out as a company that sold workware to construction workers (who are outside no matter what the temp) so they have a great display of socks. Some of their socks even tell you right on the package a rating of how warm they are. You want a pair that is warm, but not too bulky.

Anyways, I hope this is helpful. And remember that to really enjoy Winter in Canada you actually have to get out there... it's a great opportunity to try out skating, skiing, snowmobiling, toboganning, dog sledding, and oh ya remember you can always warm up back in the lodge / bar with the locals cheering on a hockey team with a pint or two. (There is always hockey on tv... we have 6 teams in the NHL, and several variations on Team Canada that play internationally). And Hockey lasts just slightly longer than winter, it runs on tv from October to June. LOL

Cheers!

Wine-4-2

hi Wine 4-2 - great post! Is Winterlude on in 2009? I've never been but heard really good things about it so if Deny make the west coast for mid-winter, this would be a neat event to see/participate in. What do you think?