We realize that most of our service-providers who work outdoors are well compensated for their efforts, but when the cold wind-chill temperatures reach minus 30 and beyond, we begin to wonder how much is too much or whether we'd be willing to take on their jobs for any amount of pay.
Jump in a SaskPower bucket in 30 kilometre winds and minus temperatures to work on broken lines, transformers and lights for a couple of hours and you'll appreciate what you do just a little bit more.
Our soon to be extinct mail carriers brave all kinds of crazy weather and walking conditions to deliver things we really want, and, on occasion, stuff we really don't want, but are going to get anyway. Try tromping their route just once and you'll gain a new appreciation of winter.
Roll on out to the rig sites and watch the action from the warmth of your SUV, and tell us you could do that job just as well as those guys who are actually doing it while adding to the gross domestic production of Saskatchewan.
Repairing gas lines, mapping out watermain breaks and repairing them all those public works jobs that can't wait. Hail to those who do them.
We are even in the mood to deliver a vote of thanks to those who are just occasionally required to brave the elements. Their jobs often mean they are doing nasty things for a few nasty hours in nasty conditions. I'm thinking of policing and firefighting or rescue work or those who have to haul vehicles out of ditches while risking frostbite and traffic.
Thanks to you, too.
When it comes right down to the hard facts of winter in Saskatchewan, there are very few who get to escape the full blast all the time. It seems all of us are exposed to the elements for certain periods of time no matter what our selected professions are and no matter what our volunteer duties entail. We're going to be subjected to the nastiness of winter at some point, which will only enhance our appreciation of the jobs being done by those who are required to put in full shifts in the great big beautiful outdoors.
Living in Saskatchewan from December through March can be a challenge, but at the same time, it can also lend itself to the development of character and a feeling of teamwork and being a good neighbour. In winter, we have a keener sense of looking out for our fellow citizens, knowing that winter can bring a whole host of problems to stack up on anyone at any given time with little time to react.
Those of us who have grown up in the Prairie environment know how to cope and we'll keep a keen eye out for our fellow citizens who may require help. We do so by instinct, whether it's just to offer a booster cable, shovel, ice scraper or a hand up after a fall on ice. We've come prepared and with a knowledge of what to expect.
Therefore, when it comes to those who choose to work outside when the rest of us are reluctant to even open the front door thanks.
And if you do venture out during the next couple of months, remember it's parka, gloves, boots and toque times. You don't earn points for acting brave against the elements in Saskatchewan in February. The odds are against you, and Mother Nature holds the ace card every time.
