Find a contractor to clear your driveway of snow

If your cottage is on a public road, you don’t need to worry about plowing the thoroughfare as the municipality sends out road maintenance crews to clear snow from public roads. Nonetheless, you will need to make arrangements to have your driveway plowed to ensure you can access your cottage when you arrive on a Friday night. It’s also a good idea to shovel snow from the pathway leading to your cottage. Chances are you’ll be making a number of trips back and forth from the car to the cottage with provisions for the weekend. It’s more difficult to navigate through thick snow when you’re carrying bags or an armload of things. Since you’ve just arrived, and it’s probably dark, you won’t be able to discern icy patches on the pathway. The good news is it’s not difficult to find someone with a truck or tractor in the Kawarthas who would be happy to clear your driveway during the winter. We have an arrangement in place with a reliable contractor who plows our driveway all winter. The arrangement has worked well for years. Once spring has arrived, and the last vestiges of snow have given way, we call him to find out how much we owe for the season’s snow-clearing. It’s always reasonable. Our tab is usually about $400. Your neighbours will probably be able to provide you with the names and contact information of people who could help you clear your driveway. The owners of retail stores in the neighbourhood are another good bet.

Invest in a snow-blower

We’ve found it helpful to have a snow-blower at the cottage, just in case. You may have arranged to have your driveway plowed when it is covered in a thick blanket of snow. Nonetheless, you may need to leave your cottage – and get out of your driveway – before the person who plows the snow arrives. Perhaps you need to head back to the city on a Sunday evening to prepare for another school and work week. Having a snow-blower on hand allows you to clear snow from a small driveway in an emergency. With a snow-blower, we can also remove the snow from our pathway on a Saturday morning in about five minutes. We also use the snow-blower to clear snow from our skating rink.

Be prepared for a stay-over

Perhaps you planned to drive back to the city at the end of the weekend, but heavy snow has caught you by surprise. If the road crews haven’t cleared the snow yet and driving conditions are unfavourable, don’t take any chances. That’s why it’s a good idea to be prepared to stay an additional night. Have extra food on hand and phone numbers for contacts in the city to notify them of your plans. We’ve found it helpful to have our children’s school phone number on hand to report an unexpected absence.

Get to know your neighbours

Your neighbours can be one of your best allies. They can call to warn you of poor winter driving conditions before you head up to cottage country for the weekend. They can advise you to bring lots of warm clothing in advance of your trip north. They can gently remind you the roof over your verandah is dangerously heavy with snow. It’s not uncommon for a good neighbour to crank up the heat at your cottage in advance of your visit to ensure it’s warm and comfortable when you arrive.

Turn your water off

Although we visit our getaway in the Kawarthas every weekend in winter, we always turn the water off before we leave on Sunday evening. Turning off the water helps to safeguard against a flood at the cottage if our pipes freeze.

If there’s a power outage, rule out the possibility it’s just your cottage

Once last winter, we endured a power outage for several hours. We assumed it was a general outage affecting everyone in our neighbourhood. A wise family member called Hydro One, and they confirmed there wasn’t a general power outage in our vicinity. It turned out that the problem originated in our cottage. Lesson learned? It’s a good idea to have the customer service information for Hydro One stored on your cell phone. For 24-hour power outages or emergency service, call 1-800-434-1235. Hydro One is the primary electricity supplier throughout the City of Kawartha Lakes.

Find ways to keep children occupied

As children may grow bored if they’re inside too long, find ways to lure them to bundle up and have fun in the cold. For us, a skating rink on our property has been the perfect solution. We often light an outdoor fire and have a “fire and ice” skating party. Coboconk is also home to the perfect tobogganing hill for young children.

Enjoy a hearth-side blaze

The beloved hearth-side blaze at the cottage is especially beautiful against the background of the snowy landscape outside. Now, just get your hot chocolate, slippers, and a blanket to make the perfect night in at your cottage this winter.

Photo courtesy of Paul Henman No Alterations Made - Creative Commons