Mild winter bad for business

 In Opinion

“Let’s all take a moment to thank a Texas Low,” writes the CBC Wednesday.

Let’s not.

It is the reason for a new record set for breaking a record temperature in Toronto.

An El Nino pattern is already responsible for an unseasonably warm winter and then we get the double whammy with the low-pressure system from Texas.

Although the damage is done, it seems unCanadian-like not to complain about the weather, whatever it may be doing.

One thing is for sure.

This weather is not good for business.

No matter how much we complain about winter, we rely on it to stimulate the local economy.

Of course, it’s nice not having to spend 10 minutes in the morning clearing off the car but it comes at a price.

The endless streams of headlights heading up Airport Road on a Friday have dimmed and the buzz of snowmobiles whipping by on local trails is hushed.

It is sad to see cross-country ski trails and downhill runs closed this week, close to home and throughout the province.

The affect is even deeper when you consider that those in the snow removal business are without tasks and the people selling firewood and heating fuel are making fewer deliveries.

Sure, it’s great for the household’s bank account in one way but bad in others when considering all the ramifications. Some of the impacts are very noticeable and others are more subtle. With fewer skiers and snowmobilers in the area, restaurants in the region will be taking a hit, along with accommodation providers and all of the spin-off services that are too numerous to mention.

We have been told that even on days when there isn’t any snow in the GTA but we have great winter sport conditions, people don’t think to come north. They need to have some semblance of winter before they feel an impulse to hit the slopes.

With spring-like conditions in the city, people may not be seeking out man-made snow at Blue Mountain, and that is a shame.

These past two years we have had two very cold and snowy winters and everything was right in the world. The experts said it was good for water levels and slowing invasive insects. A cold and snowy winter restores ecological balance.

This is all part of a troubling global warming trend.

According to new Berkeley Earth analysis, “2015 was unambiguously the hottest year on record. For the first time in recorded history, the Earth’s temperature is clearly more than 1.8 F above the 1850-1900 average. 2015 was about 0.2 degrees F hotter than 2014, which had tied with 2005 and 2010 as the previous hottest years.”

With no hope for a proper winter we can only hope we get some snow in the near future but the short term forecast isn’t promising.

Fingers crossed and snow boots at the ready.

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