OTTAWA -- After weeks of rain, muck and even a disappointing green Christmas, the wait for winter in Ottawa finally ended. The 10 centimeters of snow that arrived to start 2021 should stick around.
People like Benji Carroll are happy to see the snow, but wished it were a little lighter on the shovel.
"I like to snowshoe and play in the snow and I enjoy the snow but the shoveling is though and the snow is heavy," Carroll said. "I’m not as young as I used to be."
Carroll is looking forward to hitting the trails with his snowshoes, when he’s finished clearing his driveway, but admits if he had the chance he’d really rather be somewhere south.
Not everyone sees the snow as hard work. Gustav Belisario and his wife were out sledding with their one-year-old daughter at Carlington Park on Saturday. They have felt a little trapped in their home so at the first sign of snow Friday night, they decided to hit the sled hill.
"We were a little concerned at the beginning because there was no snow but now we’re excited," Belisario said. "Right now because of the situation we are having I think it’s a good place to be because it’s outdoors and everyone is keeping some distance."
The cross-country ski trails in Gatineau Park were busy, with people lining up to get a parking space. Hundreds taking advantage of the fresh snow and pristine conditions.
Jaden Towe and his girlfriend were there, they have been dreaming about snow since before Christmas.
"I was startled and surprised to see we even had snow, I expected we’d be seeing green all the way through to February," Towe said. "It’s good to see people outside and getting active."
Environment Canada meteorologist Brian Owsiak told CTV News Ottawa that the temperatures over the next week to 10 days should stay below zero and it looks to be a relatively quiet period for now with no significant systems on the way.
