Dressing for Winter, Province by Province

You thought one puffy jacket was enough. Canada laughed. The truth is, winter isn’t one-size-fits-all here. Each province has its own brand of misery—and fashion hacks to survive it.

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Ontario: The Slush Olympics

Toronto winters aren’t just cold, they’re wet.

• Your stylish boots? Destroyed in one week by salt stains.
• Invest in waterproof boots (Sorel, Kamik, or even Canadian Tire specials).
• Pro tip: keep baby wipes by the door—your shoes will look like they wrestled a snowplow otherwise.

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Alberta: Layer Like an Onion

The weather app is lying to you. It’ll say “−10°C,” but with a chinook wind, you’re sweating in a hoodie by afternoon.

Solution: layers.

• Long johns
• Thermal tops
• Fleece
• Then your parka

MEC is Alberta’s unofficial uniform, though Costco thermals work just fine.

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Quebec: Frostbite but Make It Fashion

Montrealers somehow manage to look like Vogue models while walking on black ice.

Trick: hidden thermal layers under chic wool coats.

• Want to fit in? → Quartz Co. or Kanuk
• Don’t care? → Just don’t wear sneakers in January

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British Columbia: Wet, Not Cold

It rains. A lot.

• Forget your parka—what you need is a waterproof jacket (Arc’teryx if you’re rich, Mountain Warehouse if you’re not).
• Waterproof shoes are a must.
• Nobody looks cool with soggy socks.

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The Bottom Line

👉 Dressing for winter in Canada isn’t about style, it’s about survival. Once you nail it, you’ll laugh at tourists shivering in “fashion jackets.”