Is this true or false about Alberta?

[cchabert]

Good day every one I want to know if it's true or false that you need to plug your car during  winter, if not it wouldn't start the next morning?, if it's true then how do you do it if you arrive to live in an apartment complex and leave your car outside?

Thank you!

[Leon]

This is only true if you have an old car.  Most apartments provide you a parking space with a plug-in.  Many employers will do that too.  If you have an old car and you don't have a parking space with a plug-in, either are work or at home, you will have to run out and start it every few hours and let it run for a bit and then it's ok.

You also have to see about getting anti-freeze in everything on your car.  One of my friends had his car freeze up and had to have it towed to a shop to thaw it out.  I don't know what else they had to do.  He had to pay about $200.  When it gets that cold, even the gas freezes.  The bigger gas stations will automatically add anti-freeze to the gas or you can buy some and add it yourself.

[cchabert]

Thank you Leon and how old is the car? I have a 2003 Saturn Ion if this is not an old car as you mention, did I have to modify the car anyway to be plugged?

[Leon]

I don't think you will have a problem  I have a 1997 Ford Taurus but even though I only had it since March, I had bought it from friends.  It is not equipped to be plugged in and the only time my friends had problems with it was one night last winter when it went down to -40 and that could have been because of the lack of anti-freeze thing.  They did not take it to a shop, they used their other car for a couple of days and then tried the Taurus again and then it was fine.

When you move, if it's in the winter, you might want to take your car in to have it winterized, add all the anti-freezes to everything and then you can ask the shop if there is anything else you need to do.

[cchabert]

-40? Celsius? bbbbrrrrrr....   that's cold, Thank you Leon

[Leon]

Yes, that is quite cold but luckily we don't see that very much, maybe a couple of days over the whole winter.

[BCguy]

After you get your PR,You can always move to BC,It never gets colder then -5 in Vancouver and only snowed 5-6 times,the whole winter last year and actually did not snow in 2006 more then twice

[cchabert]

Thank you for the invitation, I'll let you know one of these days.

[Leon]

You need to survive one winter in AB first, then you can call yourself a real Canadian

[cchabert]

Mentally I'm ready, the rest of my body I don;t know, but as my mother said.."you can adapt to everything except not eating"

[aurobind]

Hi, Leon,
I did that on vistor visa and tested it before applying. I have stayed for ten days and five days were in the range of -40. I enjoyed it.

[links18]

Most Canadian market cars come with a block heater installed, which you plug in to an A/C outlet to keep the car's coolant and engine block warm during the coldest months of the year. This helps it start and also helps it give you heat faster. On US market cars a block heater is usually an option you can get from the dealer or you have to find an after market one. Once in Canada, any Canadian Tire store can probably install a block heater for you for under $100. You can probably have it done at the same time they do the RIV inspection (if you are importing it from the US).

[foreverwaiting]

After you get your PR,You can always move to BC,It never gets colder then -5 in Vancouver and only snowed 5-6 times,the whole winter last year and actually did not snow in 2006 more then twice

For a typical immigrant, it is not weather that is the deciding factor but availability of jobs ...... ;-)

[ss123]

Is Alberta the coldest province or does Manitoba, Saskatechewan get colder.....

Nice post about the coolant / heater thing...

[Leon]

Some of the Northern territories get colder.  Average in Edmonton, AB in January is -11C, the record is -45.  Average in Winnipeg, MB in January is -16C, record is -40C.  Average in Regina, SK in January is -17C, record -48C.  You can find all this and more at http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/state.php3?c=CA&refer=