Winter is cold, the days are short and there isn’t a lot of sunlight. I know this can be a depressing and boring time but winter can be fun. Here are some ideas to help you beat the winter blahs.
1. Learn a Winter Sport
With Blue Mountain, St Louis Moonstone and Horseshoe Valley only a bus ride away, you can learn to ski or snowboard. You can either join ILAC activities or arrange your own transportation. If skiing or snowboarding doesn’t interest you, try having a snowball fight, making a snowman or making snow angels. Lastly, go skating at the many ice rinks available in Toronto. Some rinks have skate rentals, others you must have your own skates. You can purchase a cheap pair at Canadian Tire or WalMart.
2. Watch a Hockey Game
Torontonians go crazy for hockey. Whether our team the Maple Leafs are winning or losing, in winter watching hockey is an event. Watch a game at the Real Sports Bar or buy tickets. Hockey tickets can be very expensive, but if you are okay with standing for a couple of hours, there are standing room tickets available for much cheaper. ILAC Activities also has tickets to Marlies, which is our junior hockey team.
3. Go See a Show
In Toronto, there are a lot of different places to watch movies, comedy shows, dance performances and plays. For movies visit: Scotiabank theatre, Yonge and Dundas theatre, Silvercity or Rainbow cinemas. For comedy shows visit: Second City, Yuk Yuks or Absolute Comedy.
For plays visit: Princess of Wales Theatre, Ed Mirvish Theatre, Panasonic Theatre or Royal Alexandra Theatre. For dance performances visit: the Toronto Centre for Arts. Also check NOW newspaper and www.mirvish.com for a full list of events, concerts, festivals and shows in Toronto.
4. Exercise
It’s easy to be lazy in winter but the best way to feel better is to be active. Join a gym, go to a yoga studio, skate, ski, snowboard, or go for a winter walk. As long as you dress appropriately you should get out and make the most of winter.
5. Delicious Eats
Winterlicious is January 31 – Feb 16. This annual food event allows Torontonians an opportunity to eat at expensive restaurants for a much cheaper price. Over 200 restaurants are participating this year. These restaurants offer a three-course meal for a fixed price. You must make a reservation to secure a spot at some of the most popular restaurants like Canoe and North 44. Choose a restaurant here. (*Please note Winterlicious may be over by the time you read this blog post. Don’t worry there are still plenty of options to eat cheap in Toronto!)
There are things to do in the winter, you just have to have an open mind and learn to enjoy the Canadian winter.
Written by Erin Casper
