Nomatta Kamanula moved to Moncton, N.B., from her native Zimbabwe in August. Canada's warm summer weather was easy, but now she's seeing something new: snow.
And she's going to see a whole lot more of it.
The Multicultural Association of the Greater Moncton Area is preparing new Canadians like Kamanula for their first winter, passing on a wealth of knowledge that most Canadians might take for granted. From how to set a thermostat and plug in a car heater to how to walk on ice and drive in slush, Moncton locals are sharing their know-how to keep newcomers safe and warm this winter.
The MAGMA pairs new Canadians with a local family for a year to help acclimatize them to their new surroundings. That often includes getting used to snow, which many of them have never seen.
"I was told to buy snow shoes and snow boots, and the warm jacket, and warm socks," Kamanula said.
Part of the acclimatization process involves dispelling the misconceptions some people have about winter.
"One of our clients, he always imagined snow was black," said Justin Ryan of MAGMA. "He'd never seen photos. He'd never seen it on television. So he was astonished to find it was white."
The weather dipped below freezing in Moncton this week, exposing many new Canadians to their first sub-zero temperatures -- and their first snow.
"It's fabulous because staying in a warm climate for most of my life, this is quite the change and so beautiful," said Taigo Brito, who was born in Zimbabwe.
It's really amazing," said Diana Adusie, a Ghana native who had her first snowball fight on Friday.
"This is the first time I've seen snow, and it's really beautiful."
With files from CTV Atlantic
