IT'S autumn in Canada, a country where nature boldly reveals its ravishing beauty and brute power and displays its myriad seasons – from a merciless winter that sends men and beasts scurrying for shelter to spring that pours rain, sprouts blossoms and injects vitality into plants and animals. Trees on hills, parks, streets and backyards are diverting energy to their roots to bolster them for the winter. Green leaves, starved for energy, have turned to gorgeous colors, like brides showing off their dazzling beauty and costumes. This awesome show of beauty lasts for a few days. In autumn shriveled leaves float down and the trees, except for evergreens, stand bare and vulnerable to winter's assault. Some succumb, most will wait for spring, when they'll bounce back to life and again provide shade, fruits and comfort to men and animals. The temperatures have begun to dip. Warm breezes and windless days are being replaced by chilly gusts. Old Man Winter is signaling that he is about to arrive. Summer knew that its time was up and has packed up to leave. Canadians, used to this annual ritual, are prepared. Just as geese and other birds and butterflies fly south for survival and food, some Canadians seek the sun's warmth in Florida, California, Mexico, the Caribbean islands, Asia or Africa. Canadians who love winter, snow and ice are readying their skis, sleds, toboggans and snow shoes for fresh air, exercise and outdoor fun. Some hardy souls even put on heavy clothes and sleep in tents outside in freezing temperatures. Like weather, man is unpredictable and enjoys adventure and risk as much as comfort and warmth. Summers in Canada are described as “lazy” – meant to be enjoyed while they last – usually from late June to mid-September. People drag out barbecues, men making hamburgers and giving housewives some respite. Schools close for the summer. Many people go to cottages, lakes, parks and campsites that dot the country. Families go camping, ditching the monotonous comforts of a modern house for the rugged adventure of sleeping in a bag in a tent surrounded by water, trees, squirrels and other animals. It's not all wilderness, however. Most campsites have water taps and toilets. So do cottages, and people go there in their vehicles, often with power boats to race in lakes and rivers. Fishing is popular. The government provides extra holidays in summer – one three-day weekend every month. People often take their holidays in summer to replenish their spirits for the challenges of a long winter. But the changing seasons are not just a matter of convenience or hardships. Excessive heat, absence or torrents of rain or a particularly harsh winter can play havoc with food production and crops. Canada's 205,730 farms yield $51.1 billion worth of crops every year to feed Canadians and people overseas. The federal government provided $10 billion to farmers in the last ten years to cover weather-related losses. As global warming takes hold, the weather is becoming more erratic. Last year's winter was unusually mild, with cities like Toronto hardly getting any snow and even Ottawa getting much less than its normal share. That provided some comfort to people and reduced their heating bills. But it hurt the crops and raised concerns about food prices. The relatively mild winter last year was followed by an unusually hot and dry summer. Ontario had its worst drought in a decade, hurting crops, animals and farmers. Other parts of Canada and the US also were hit by the drought. Economists expect that this will increase food prices in Canada by four percent. Ottawa is the world's second coldest capital city, topped only by Ulan Bator of Mongolia. This summer it seemed a reflection of the Gobi desert. Or something like it. The City of Ottawa issued advice on how to cope with the heat – avoid demanding physical activity, seek shade outdoors, drink lots of water or juice, minimize caffeinated drinks and eat less. “Lord have mercy, it has been hot,” wrote one columnist. A headline blared, “It's mid-July and we're totally fried.” Said another headline, “Welcome to the dustbowl.” Environment Canada said Ottawa experienced its hottest and driest 12-month period in its history. Normal temperature in Ottawa in a 12-month period is 6.2 degrees Celsius; this year it was 8.5 degrees. And just 619 millimeters of rain and snow blanketed Ottawa, about two-thirds of the normal. Normally more than 92 inches of snow falls on Ottawa. We remember one year when so much snow fell that in some cases it reached roof tops. So Ottawans hope, crazy as it seems, that the coming winter will bring lots of snow to quench the thirst of our parched land and coax it into producing a bigger harvest of crops and fruits next year. – Mohammed Azhar Ali Khan is a retired Canadian journalist, civil servant and refugee judge. He has received the Order of Canada, the Order of Ontario and the Queen's Diamond and Golden Jubilee medals
