We live in the great white north

Let’s begin this editorial with the immortal words of Bob and Doug McKenzie: “Cooo, loo, coo, coo, coo, coo, coo, coooo!”

The famous brothers, first featured on “SCTV,” a hit album and then the highly under-rated film “Strange Brew,” parody Canada. What Donald Trump us to the term “fake news,” the McKenzies are to popularizing the expression, “Great White North.”

This week’s cold spell, accompanied by a dump of snow, is being felt everywhere, including here in Kelowna.

But, rather than complain about our highways and roads, maybe we should embrace it.

We’re not Honolulu. We’re not Miami. We’re not even Victoria, where a snowstorm creates chaos at city hall about once every five years.

We are the Okanagan!

(Is that copyrighted somewhere?)

It’s certainly been a challenge for the workers who clear our streets and highways and overall, they’ve done a pretty good job. Remember that the most-travelled routes receive priority. With rain turning to ice, it’s inevitable the roads will be slippery.

Our crews are the ones hitting the Tim Hortons drivethru at 4 a.m. just prior to a morning of plowing, long before any of us have woken up.

We, the citizens of the Central Okanagan, can do our part to help. On city streets, keep vehicles off the roads because it’s easier for the plows to clear the roads.

Give extra space between school buses and maintenance vehicles.

And, if you absolutely must drive, give yourself extra time. Bridge commuters Wednesday reported that it took significantly longer to get to work — nearly twice as long.

Above all, try and embrace it. Yes, it’s cold and yes, it’s inconvenient. But, it’s only going to last for a few days.

We do, after all, live in Canada.