When Moses Emmanuel Bontha stepped outside Toronto Pearson Airport for the first time after landing in Canada, the cold caught him off guard immediately.
“I understood how hard it will be for me,” he said. “At that time it was around minus four or five. I never expected that.”
Bontha arrived in Canada on Nov. 8 from Hyderabad, India, and is now experiencing his first Canadian winter in Prince Albert. Before coming, he believed winter temperatures would hover around minus one or minus two. The reality, he said, has been far more extreme.
“The cold was bone chilling,” Bontha said. “My whole body was shivering. I was unable to bear the cold. Even my tears were freezing instantly. I never expected that.”
Bontha said adapting to winter has required learning an entirely new way of dressing and preparing for daily life. In Hyderabad, where temperatures typically range between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius, winter clothing was never a concern.
“Back home I used to wear T-shirts, shirts and jeans,” he said. “Here, my dress code became completely different. Jackets, gloves, glasses, ear muffs, thermal wear. I was not even aware of thermal wear before coming here.”
His wife, Stella Moses, who has lived in Canada for nearly nine years and in Prince Albert for about five, has helped guide him through the transition. One moment stands out in particular.
“We were shopping in Saskatoon and she bought me an Eddie Bauer jacket,” Bontha said. “That was a significant moment for me. That was the transition from thin clothes to heavy gear.”
Winter has also changed Bontha’s daily routine. Still new to the city and unfamiliar with the roads, he spends less time outside and relies on his wife for guidance.
“Driving in Prince Albert is a really big challenge because snow driving is completely different,” he said.
Bontha has obtained his licence and is studying materials from SGI to learn winter driving techniques, but says icy roads remain one of the biggest adjustments.
“Most of my life I was driving on dry surfaces,” he said. “Here it is a different terrain. I am trying my best to adapt.”
Moses Emmanuel Bontha plays with fresh snow outside his Prince Albert apartment building during his first winter in Saskatchewan.
Despite the challenges, Bontha says winter has its own beauty and lessons. Seeing snow every day is still new to him.
“I never seen snow in my life except one day in Kashmir,” he said. “Here I will be seeing snow for nearly six months.”
He has also been impressed by the resilience of people in Saskatchewan.
“I see very old people, 80 or 90 years old, doing their daily routine on their own,” he said. “Even though the climate is harsh, it is not stopping them.”
Bontha said he misses food from home, especially Hyderabad biryani, but is enjoying trying new cuisines and adjusting to life in Canada.
“I am liking Saskatchewan, the culture, the atmosphere, everything,” he said.
His advice to others preparing for their first Canadian winter is simple.
“They should prepare their mind,” Bontha said. “It will not be easy in the beginning, but as time passes by, they will adapt.”
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
Moses Emmanuel Bontha and his wife stand outside their Prince Albert apartment building during his first winter in Canada after arriving from Hyderabad, India in November.
