zinnia56

Hi. I thought someone on this board may be able to help me. I am thinking about relocating to a colder climate due to extremely severe allergies which currently keep me inside most of the year. (I get hives, which last anywhere from a day to a week). I have found that I do well when it<BR>is either very cold out and/or when there is<BR>is a fair amount of snow on the ground. Last<BR>year I went to Quebec city in January and again in February and I was in heaven!! After 4 years of this, and no cure in sight, <BR>I have been considering moving to a place that has a very long winter - the way I figure it 4-5 months of cold weather and being able to go out is better than my current situation. Ideally the place would be<BR>cold for 5 months or more (that means below freezing for me). It could also have a combination of cold weather and extended deep snow cover. And it would not be too<BR>wet (great for mold) or too dry (makes pollen<BR>worse)or too windy. Oh and the pollen seasons<BR>would be short. (I know I'm asking too much!!!) Two places that caught my eye are<BR>Whitehorse in the Yukon, and Fort McMurray<BR>in Alberta - both are very cold for an extended period of time. Does anyone have any<BR>thoughts on these places or any other suggestions? Any help anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated.

gary

I guess thats why there's chocolate &amp; vanilla. <BR>well to be frank of all the Canadian cities and towns north of 60 Whitehorse probably has the most 'city' type environment with Yellowknife a close second. I think you should consult the weather network for real details. In fact Winnipeg has colder winters than Whitehorse and almost as cold as Yellowknife but just not quite as long. The only advantage to Fort McMurray which doesn't have as long winters as the north of 60 towns is the amazing job opportunities and high wages there.<BR>So, if you're not planning to work for the government I guess Ft. McMurray would offer the best of both worlds for you - high income potential and at least 5 months of cold and snow. As to the latter - Fech!!!!!<BR>Happy Canada Day - the north needs more of you.

gary

On the other hand if government work is your forte how about Iqalut, the capital of Nunavit, which has winter for around 10 months of the year and virtually no summer as we know it. I understand there is a real demand for skilled beurocras there.

zinnia56

Well thank you both for your reply and input. It sounds like the favorite is Fort McMurray from the job standpoint, but Whitehorse is more city like. I live in the country now (quickly becoming the suburbs) but I do like a bit of civilization nearby. As to weather, I have looked up the weather statistics for both places - it looks like they are very close in terms of temperature and extremes. Whitehorse has less rain. But it has really high humidity levels. I think this is due to runoff from the mountains, and possibly the wetlands nearby - so mold would be high in the the spring, summer and fall. Fort McMurray has much lower humidity - I'm guessing due to more windy weather?? But it is on a river also with lots of wetlands, so again there would be a lot of mold the other seasons. This seems to be the case in all of the northern <BR>communities. So I guess I need to think about that aspect of it - right now I can sneak out for a very short time when it rains hard, or when humidity is low and the pollen seasons are over. I did notice that Winnepeg has extremely cold winters and a lot of <BR>wind - and it looks like an interesting town - but I took it out of the running since the winters were shorter and since it was in a prarie area I figured <BR>the ragweed and grass seasons would be just awful (yes - pollen, especially ragweed can get in the house). As <BR>to Iqaluit - I actually think I could <BR>handle it even with the darkness, but <BR>its so remote - and I do have a family to consider. I think it would be a real <BR>neat place to visit though. Anyway thank you both for your input - you've given me a lot to think about. Hopefully <BR>it won't be too long till I am blessedly <BR>shivering in the cold of the North!!!! <BR> <BR>

Robyn

In my grade 11 science class 4 years ago, our assistant teacher had to move away from Vancouver, BC to Osoyoos, BC for the very same reason. His wife was extremely allergic to pollens/moulds. Instead of moving into the north, they just moved to a desert. Osoyoos (about a 5-6 hour drive east of Vancouver) is Canada's only desert located in the extreme south of the Okanagan Valley. They experience extremely hot summers and sub-zero snowy winters but very little precipitation. Apparently Osoyoos was the perfect place to move to because it had very little pollen/mould. <BR> <BR>I don't know how accurate that information is, but it might be worth checking into! <BR>

anonymous

I live in Whitehorse and am not sure where you are getting information that says there is high humidity. That be couldn't further from the truth. We have desert aridity. There is no mold. The closest thing to mold that I have seen is a few mushrooms in my lawn if it happens to rain (which isn't often).<BR><BR>I may be perceived as biased but I would rate Whitehorse far over and above anywhere in the NWT. Whitehorse is also a govt town (for the govt job aspect) and the Yukon is not flat and windy as the NWT is. Try looking at the govt of Yukon website (they post jobs) and for an idea of the territory you can also look at www.touryukon.com<BR><BR>GOod luck!<BR>