Listen to Roger Currie’s commentary on the miracle of spring
Winnipeg one month ago. Susannah Krivak
Spring, whenever it chooses to arrive, is truly a miracle. Seldom has it seemed more miraculous than this year on the Canadian prairies.
A month ago, much of Manitoba and Saskatchewan were still covered in snow. There were dire predictions that more floods were on the horizon. Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger even leaned on that possibility as part of his justification for raising taxes. The mood was downright ugly, just about everywhere in the land of the Roughriders and the Blue Bombers.
Then came the magic. The temperature climbed above 20 degrees under bright sunshine. Overshoes and winter coats disappeared, and snow shovels and ice scrapers were replaced by rakes and push brooms. Even the flood forecasters turned out to be mostly wrong.
My partner and I went to a family wedding where the vows were exchanged outdoors. I can’t remember the last time I saw so many broad smiles in one place. Just about everything is better when the seasons change. My wobbly knees don’t feel nearly as bad when they’re bathed in warm sunlight, and I can wear shorts and no socks.
We all buy plants to put in the ground so we can witness even more miracles. Of course it’s not a straight line. I was writing an article about golf this week. I was reminded that on June 12, 1969, Winnipeg officially opened the John Blumberg Golf Course, and it snowed. It was the only recorded snowstorm ever in the month of June in the Manitoba capital.
Somehow I had blocked out the memory of that day. But it was probably then that I declared “Don’t ever take that scraper brush out of the car” because on the prairies, you just never know.
Pity the folks who live in dull places like California and Hawaii and never get to experience those miracles.
Have a great season, and don’t forget the sunscreen, and the bug spray.
Red sky at night. Noah Erenberg
