West Coast Cats - Page 2

bayrider · 02-08-2010, 09:53 PM

wtf do you need mittens for in Vancouver/

Lotusland · 02-08-2010, 10:09 PM

It does snow here once a year.

Of course you don't need them but they are probably the biggest seller in terms of merchandise and have become a major symbol for the games to date. All the torch bearers wear them and they only cost $10.00 with all proceeds going towards the players Olympic team.

Made in China too, lol.

ToanVu · 02-08-2010, 10:25 PM

Once a year and you guys call yourselves Canadians? Pshhh...

XPOFAN · 02-08-2010, 11:08 PM

Don't listen to We Have. Enjoy the experience. I would be there with you, but Count refused to let me stay at his place.

TheCountofMonteCristo · 02-08-2010, 11:56 PM

We have had an overly warm winter this year, last year was colder for sure.

My whole family has the mittens.

Lotusland · 02-09-2010, 12:10 AM

Saw something on the tube the other day that said that Vancouver typically receives about 49cm of snow in January and yet we have only received 1.2cm all winter.

Washington, DC on the other hand had received something like 139 cm as of this weekend.

My Dad laughed at the visual of VANOC sending dump trucks down the Coquihalla Highway these past few days collecting snow to take back to Cypress Mountain. Had to wonder how much arrived back at the mountain with the sun beaming down on the trucks for the 2-hr journey?

Ironically... Whistler has received a record amount of snow this year I believe. That is going to be the place to party, for sure.

TheLeftCoast · 02-09-2010, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lotusland

Saw something on the tube the other day that said that Vancouver typically receives about 49cm of snow in January and yet we have only received 1.2cm all winter.

Maybe Whistler...no way Vancouver gets that much snow in January!

Lotusland · 02-09-2010, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheLeftCoast

Maybe Whistler...no way Vancouver gets that much snow in January!

You are sort of right. I re-checked and it seems the 49cm is the average amount a year in Vancouver but as of today there has only been 1.2 cm that has fallen.

TheLeftCoast · 02-09-2010, 12:28 AM

OK...last few years we've had one decent snowfall each year - usually around Christmas. But very little this winter.

Where are you living, Lotus? Aren't you in Vancouver?

TheCountofMonteCristo · 02-09-2010, 12:30 AM

depends where in Vancouver, Richmond where they measure it gets less than Surrey, Coquitlam, where I am next to river gets less than up in Queen's Park of New Westminster.

TheCountofMonteCristo · 02-09-2010, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheLeftCoast

OK...last few years we've had one decent snowfall each year - usually around Christmas. But very little this winter.

Where are you living, Lotus? Aren't you in Vancouver?

last year we had a ton, both before and after Christmas.

Lotusland · 02-09-2010, 12:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheLeftCoast

OK...last few years we've had one decent snowfall each year - usually around Christmas. But very little this winter.

Where are you living, Lotus? Aren't you in Vancouver?

Yep.

Got this from wiki...

Quote:

Snowfall exceeding 100 cm occurred twice during the 1990s, and, in January 1972 alone, there was more than 120 cm (47.2 in) of snow. The snowiest year on record at Vancouver International Airport was 1971, which received a total of 242.6 cm (95.5 in), and the greatest snow depth reported was 61 cm (24 in) on January 15 of that year.

According to Environment Canada, Vancouver typically has a 11% chance of a White Christmas. The most recent White Christmas occurred in 2008 after weeks of record breaking cold temperatures and four consecutive snow storms left over 60 cm of snow on the ground across Metro Vancouver. New snow also accumulated on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day giving it the title for Canada's whitest Christmas in 2008 with 41 cm on ground (48 cm at one point on Christmas Eve). Snow was also measured in the preceding year of 2007 where 1 cm was observed in the Vancouver International Airport.

Love this part...

Quote:

Although the 30 cm to 60 cm (11.8 to 23.6 in) which fell across Greater Vancouver and the Lower Mainland in a 24 hour period in November 2006 was out of the ordinary, snow has in fact accumulated at sea level in all months except for June, July, and August. However, even small amounts of snow in the Vancouver area can cause school closures, as well as produce massive traffic problems. Snowfall levels considered routine or mild in other parts of Canada can be relatively catastrophic in Vancouver. Furthermore, the low frequency of snowfall makes it hard to justify the public works infrastructure necessary for more effective snow removal, as the city is usually in a thaw situation long before plowing of streets are completed. The City budgets CA$400,000 per year for the maintenance of snow removal equipment, for the purchasing of deicing salt, and for the training of staff, but the costs of actual snow removal are funded separately from contingency reserve funds, and vary widely from season to season. For example, $1.1 million was spent in 1998, compared to $0 in 2001.[6] Blizzards are rare but can incapacitate much of the Lower Mainland. One in 1996 resulted in over 60 cm (23.6 in) of snow in Vancouver and was responsible for millions of dollars in damage.

Ha... what is Montreal's budget a year for snow removal and then of course the obligatory pot-hole repair task.

TheLeftCoast · 02-09-2010, 12:45 AM

I got stuck in the Vancouver airport during the big snowfall of '97 (or was it '96?). Apparently YVR sold their snowplows because they didn't feel they needed them...

bayrider · 02-09-2010, 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lotusland

Yep.

Got this from wiki...

Love this part...

Ha... what is Montreal's budget a year for snow removal and then of course the obligatory pot-hole repair task.

Wikipedia says $128M.

Though when I was there it seemed like they were cutting back year after year.

Lotusland · 02-09-2010, 12:55 AM

Yeah during the Xmas 2008 period YVR was trashed by the public for all the cancellations due to lack of equipment and de-icing trucks. The OIC heard that and you can be sure sent a message to YVR to be prepared for anything during the weeks the games are on.

Of course we mostly pay for it through our Airport Improvement Fee (AIF) which was created in the early 90's to help pay for a new runway and now continues on to pay for anything the airport owners feel like such as costly art displayed all over the place.

I never use YVR when going to Vegas. I use Bellingham Airport down south. Way more covenient, way more cheaper and less headaches. To this day I have never understood why Canada pays more for the 9/11 security fees that people in the US? Add our ridiculous taxes on flying and it is a joke. I don't have much of a problem overall with taxes in Canada but at the airport it is simply blackmail.

bayrider · 02-09-2010, 01:01 AM

The part about school cancelations also omits that people in Vancouver go ape shit and put chains on their tires when it snows a cm.

I've lived in Montreal for a little less than 20 years and I've never once put a chain on my tires or ridden in a car with one.

Lotusland · 02-09-2010, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bayrider

Wikipedia says $128M.

Though when I was there it seemed like they were cutting back year after year.

I remember when Vancouver hit that $1 million mark a few years ago... City Hall was panicking where the money would come from should more snow fall. They were going to go crying to the Feds. It was embarrassing I tell ya.

2008 was a joke. Since they only have like 10 trucks for the whole city they never even think about plowing the side streets like they do constantly in Montreal so my car sat on the street snowed-in for about 2-weeks before I had faith I could get it out.

Even clearing the sidewalks was new to them and poor old ladies were seen on the news falling all over the place trying to get to the bus stops for their doctor appointments and even at the bus stops you had to climb over a hill to get in the door.

These Winter Olympics would be cancelled if it actually snowed during them.

bayrider · 02-09-2010, 01:05 AM

I think Quebec and Ottawa are the only cities/province that clean the sidewalks. I remember there being a big stink in Edmonton about home owners being responsible for cleaning the sidewalks adjacent to their property. I think someone sued a home owner because he got hurt after he walked on a stretch of sidewalk that wasn't cleaned

Lotusland · 02-09-2010, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bayrider

The part about school cancelations also omits that people in Vancouver go ape shit and put chains on their tires when it snows a cm.

I've lived in Montreal for a little less than 20 years and I've never once put a chain on my tires or ridden in a car with one.

I walk to work when there is snow on the ground mostly because I don't trust other drivers and I don't have the best grip with my car. However you would be amazed how often I am stopped by people on the way to help them try and get their little honda or toyota out from being stuck parked on the street and their tires are as bald as bobsled's head. I literally laugh and say you are ****ing crazy and carry on. This is where the CBC should come each year to scout for new particpants for their show Canada's Worst Driver as these people have no clue.

Lotusland · 02-09-2010, 01:12 AM

Yeah, Vancouver stepped up the notice that they will fine store owners or home owners for not clearing the sidewalks but most don't until someone falls and they start threatening them.