FIVE: ways winter can rock

Now that the major winter holidays are over, January and February feel endless and abysmal. To combat the dark and dreary winter days, here are five cold-weather activities to keep those spirits warm.

Go skating
There is an abundance of indoor and outdoor rinks here in the city, so whether you’re playing a game of shinny with some buddies or taking that cute girl from your English class to a public free-skate, there are plenty of opportunities to lace up the skates.

Go tobogganing
Sledding is snowboarding’s unrefined cousin. It doesn’t even matter if it’s colder than all hell because more warm clothes equals more padding for when you take that GT that was too small for you in grade eight off a ramp and into a tree/bush/frozen creek/innocent bystander.

Build a snow fort
A snow-filled backyard or park is prime snow fort real estate. Put on your ski pants, unleash your inner child’s architectural genius, and get to quinzhee building. Snow is a great insulator, and a well-built snow fort can actually stay relatively warm. If you’re going to be outside, why not hang out in a sweet-ass, wind-protected snow fort?

Go skiing/snowboarding
If you’ve never been, the hills at Mission Ridge are nothing crazy and a fine place to learn (make it one of your new year’s resolutions), and it’s only a short drive away from the Queen City. Better yet, grab some friends and make a day trip east to Asessippi. Even better, make that a long weekend trip west to Banff and really shred some gnar.

Have Snowball fight
Call up a bunch of friends, meet in a park, and have a good old-fashioned snowball throw-down. It’s one of the only situations where whipping frozen objects at people isn’t frowned upon, but encouraged. It’s also a true instance of “the more, the merrier,” so bring out as many friends as you can and engage in some unadulterated winter warfare.

Paul Bogdan
A&C Writer