Ice follies

Prince Harry had to go all the way to the South Pole for his winter camping adventure, but here in Toronto we do it in our own homes. How did you manage? I spent hours huddled beside my ancient gas stove, mastering the fine art of doing crossword puzzles by flashlight. Sometimes I stood at the kitchen window and watched that beautiful old tree commit suicide, draping itself across four backyards.

There's nothing scarier for a senior than looking out the window onto a sea of ice. I strapped the icers to my boots, then inched along the front walk and sidewalk, pouring on the ice melter. When I went back out a few hours later, it was fairly easy to chop up the ice and shovel it off. For the car, I tapped the ice with a rubber mallet all around the door, then ran my car key along the seam. Still took a little tug-of-war and a kind neighbour to get the door open. But then I could finally relax, I wasn't trapped any more.

Communication was a disaster: information phone lines busy for hours on end, and radio newscasts telling you to check a website for details! I wish there were some sort of trusted volunteer brigade that would go door to door in emergencies like this, check on elderly and disabled people, tell us where the nearest warming centres are, and offer people rides to get there. They can do something like this for elections, so why not for emergencies? Toronto Public Health could run it, or maybe the NDP could walk the talk about protecting the vulnerable. The city's emergency plan has to include ways to reach people without using electricity. They should hire seniors to advise them; we can tell them how it's done.