Do I look like a guy who robs banks? Or just someone who doesn’t want his cheeks to freeze in the worst of a Canadian winter?

I didn’t have to wear this balaclava often, but there were days when it was skin-saving. Such as yesterday … (except now I live in balmy Europe!)

Here’s a snapshot of the low temperatures in Alberta, a western province of Canada, overnight on Friday, January 12:

And the “W” is what the air feels like when you add in the windchill. Ouch! I used to live in Lethbridge. The coldest I remember there was about -25 C, plus the wind. But -39 C? How would I survive?

Actually that’s a thought that came to me once when I walked outside on a winter’s day in the city of Ottawa, heading to a building a few hundred metres away.

O my God! I need to run! I could die out here

Here’s what one commentator said about Friday night:

It’s going to be a cold and dangerous night tonight in Southern Alberta as the Extreme Cold Warning is still in effect. Windchill temperatures in the -50°C range are expected overnight where skin can get frostbite within 2 minutes!

It’s so cold, Alberta will be colder than the North Pole, the Arctic, even colder than Antarctica!

If you can, stay home. If you have to travel, make sure you have a blanket and food in your vehicle. If it’s too cold for you to stay outside, it’s too cold for your pet to stay outside, make sure your pets are warm.

If outside, watch for colour changes on fingers and toes, pain, numbness, a tingling sensation, or swelling. If present, move indoors and begin warming.

Keep moving to maintain your body heat and seek shelter from the wind.

Outdoor workers should take regularly scheduled breaks to warm up.

I’m so happy I’ve moved to Gent