Those who claim that Canada doesn’t experience a proper spring have clearly never been to Vancouver.
That’s the first thing that popped into my head when I was walking home on Thursday after a short run through my East Vancouver neighbourhood. It was 17 degrees Celsius outside and the air was thick with the fragrance of hyacinth, magnolia, and sakura. Still technically winter, yes, but spring arrived a month earlier on the west coast with the first crocus blooming the first week of February. Now it was mid-March and the magnolias were everywhere, overwhelming the senses all over the city.
Magnolias are fleeting beauties. Their buds start to show as early as January, and seem to stay dormant for months until one day their silken petals burst through their fuzzy pods like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis. No sooner do they emerge do the petals drop and decay and the magic is gone for the year.
Springtime in Vancouver? It gets me everytime. Usually I’m overwhelmed by the beauty of cherry blossoms, but this year, my new love is the magnolia.
What??? That is the most ludicrous thing I’ve heard in a long time! No proper spring here? Canada is the BEST place to go if you want to experience all the seasons. That’s a goofy statement… who said that??
I know, it’s crazy! Some people argue that (most of) Canada doesn’t experience a proper spring because in many parts of the country, spring is such a short transition between winter and summer, blink and you’ll miss the season. I don’t necessarily agree with that statement, but it’s one I’ve read on forums, where people have moved to other parts of Canada from other temperate climates around the world.