No denying it

It’s said the weather is the most popular topic of conversation among Canadians, and most of that talk tends to be negative. It’s either too cold or too hot; too rainy or too dry. There just never seems to be a happy medium.
And frankly, our lives revolve around the weather. The first thing we do after getting out of bed in the morning is look out the window to see whether it’s sunny or cloudy. We’re constantly checking the forecast to plan our day or decide what to wear, as well as if the coming weekend will be best for outdoor activities or indoor chores.

But there’s much more to weather than just frivolous things. The wrong combination can mean widespread crop failures, devastating forest fires, and water levels on creeks and lakes that either are overflowing or dried up. And then there are the storms which seem to be getting more common—and increasingly severe—with each passing year.
Here in Rainy River District, we’re fortunate to have been spared the worst of Mother Nature’s wrath so far this summer. Thunder Bay is still recovering from major flooding back in May while Duluth was swamped by a deluge late last month. The storm on July 2 may have cancelled our international tug-of-war but it caused serious wind damage in places like Bemidji.
Hopefully our luck holds up but that may be wishful thinking. Sure, we’ve had heat waves before, and cold snaps. Not to mention blizzards, heavy downpours, and droughts. But clearly our traditional weather patterns are changing and who knows what the long-term impact will be?
What is certain is that it won’t be good. Even milder winters, which most people here might welcome, can mean new viruses and insect infestations, along with other consequences for our local environment and wildlife.
Whether you call it global warming or climate change, the world ignored the warning signs for too long and now we’re paying the price.
There’s just no denying that.