Winter Emergency

Winter Emergency Essentials for Living in Ontario

I remember a commercial from when I was a kid, well before any technology was available, where this family ran out of gas during the winter and the father left the mother and kids wrapped under a blanket in the car with a candle going to help maintain some warmth. With our recent snowstorms, it got me thinking about how prepared I am and other people, in case of an emergency during the winter months.
The Basics

To start and I think anyone who lives in Ontario and especially around the Great Lakes like we do here in Midland will have most of these things, but some of the key things you should have in your vehicle would be a snowbrush with an ice scraper and even one of those little collapsible shovels you can buy. These will help clear the snow and ice off the vehicle, but the shovel will help you dig out of a small ditch or to help clear the way for your vehicle. Some other things to have in your vehicle would be booster cables or even the booster packs to help get batteries that have frozen started again. Also, make sure you have your roadside assistance number in the car so you can call them if need be. I had a customer call me asking for GM’s roadside assistance number the other day. Good thing I was available and answered their call to help them with their troubles!

Emergency Essentials
Just like the commercial I mentioned above, some emergency essentials you should have would be that candle, as one little candle will add some warmth to the air. It won’t keep you toasty warm but will help cut the chill in the air. You will still need a nice warm blanket to help with keeping your body warm. I have a Coleman camping blanket that wraps up nice and small in my trunk and works wonders in cold weather. I would also recommend having a first aid kit in the vehicle in case of an accident and you need something to wrap or clean a cut. Also, some water, which is an essential, and food, whether it is protein bars or nuts, is good to have to help you not feel hungry. Finally, a flashlight with batteries would be useful at night and after watching videos of major pileups in the winter some flares, or warning triangles would be good to place on the road to help other drivers who won’t be able to stop.

Extreme items
If you are going to be driving the backroads of Ontario, especially if you want to try and get to Toronto without having to deal with all the traffic on the 400 highways, you should be prepared to not have any help for a long period of time. Having a portable charger or cables for your phones to maintain power so you can try to communicate with emergency services. Making sure you have a good sleeping bag, hats, gloves, and boots for every passenger would help to cut through the cold the vehicle will get during the night. You can also buy a mini-camping stove to cook food or to get some warmth, but it is not recommended to have them going inside of the vehicle. Lastly, make sure you have a tarp or piece of cardboard to lay on the snow while working outside of the vehicle. It’s not good to go out and get cold working on the vehicle and then have no way to get warm.

I hope everyone who is traveling from Midland to anywhere in Ontario, has safe travels but just in-case you have some issue with your vehicle or with mother nature, I hope you take some of these tips to prepare you for the unexpected.

Written by

Tom Smith Chevrolet is a Chevrolet, Buick & GMC dealership located in Midland ONT. We also have a wide selection of certified pre-owned vehicles. Just a 30 minute drive from Barrie, ONT, or 90 minutes from the  GTA we know you will get the best service from our small town dealership you can’t get from bigger cities.