Snowless Mountains 😬

the mountains are telling us something: look up, wake up, and vote green

I shared a video of my SkyTrain ride, looking out at the mountains surrounding Vancouver.

What struck me was what wasn't there.

Snow.

The mountains looked bare, dry and brown. I've seen snowless autumns before, so I know one video doesn't tell the whole story. But when I look at what is happening to our climate, I don't think we should simply shrug and say it's normal.

The climate is changing. The evidence is there. And we need to start taking it seriously.

october is supposed to bring rain to vancouver

According to The Weather Network's October 19, 2026 report, Vancouver had received only 9.5 millimetres of rain by October 18.

The normal rainfall for the entire month of October is approximately 123.9 millimetres.

That means Vancouver had received only about 8% of its usual October rainfall by that date.

The usual autumn storm systems were being diverted north by a persistent area of high pressure over the northeastern Pacific. Vancouver and Victoria were on track for exceptionally dry Octobers.

This isn't just about whether we need an umbrella. Our forests, watersheds, wildlife and communities depend on the seasonal rhythms of rain and snow.

And when those rhythms change, the consequences reach far beyond what we can see from a train window.

Source: The Weather Network — Vancouver and Victoria on track for driest October on record

snow is more than a pretty mountain view

Our coastal mountains store water as snow during the colder months. As that snow melts, it helps replenish streams, rivers and reservoirs.

But warming temperatures change the equation.

More winter precipitation can fall as rain rather than snow. Snow can melt earlier, and warm spells can interrupt the accumulation of winter snowpack.

Environment and Climate Change Canada's 2026 climate assessment says that snow-cover duration is projected to shorten across Canada, and peak snowpack amounts are projected to decrease across most of the country as the climate warms.

Its analysis of observations from 1981 to 2025 also found a declining trend in the number of snow-covered days along Canada's Pacific coast.

These are long-term changes, not a claim that every October must have snow on every peak.

That distinction matters. Climate change doesn't mean every year will look the same. It means the conditions and probabilities are shifting.

Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada — Snow cover

what kind of future are we leaving behind?

I think about the salmon that need healthy rivers. The orcas that depend on salmon. The forests that need water. The communities that depend on reliable drinking-water supplies.

I think about the next generation, who will inherit the decisions we make today.

We cannot control every storm, and no political party can reverse climate change overnight. But governments can make choices about fossil fuels, industrial expansion, public transit, renewable energy, conservation and how we spend public money.

Those choices matter.

We cannot keep treating the natural world as an unlimited resource while expecting future generations to clean up the consequences.

We cannot keep putting short-term profits ahead of the living systems that sustain us.

And we cannot expect things to change if we refuse to participate in changing them.

get out and vote. vote green.

If protecting the environment, addressing the climate crisis and safeguarding a livable future matter to you, please get out and vote.

Vote Green.

I support the Greens because I want environmental protection to be a priority, not an afterthought. I want governments to take climate science seriously, protect ecosystems, invest in sustainable alternatives and consider the long-term consequences of their decisions.

I also want a society that takes housing, mental health, addiction treatment and rehabilitation seriously. Environmental protection and human well-being are not competing concerns. We need both.

No party has all the answers, and promises must be scrutinized. Look at the policies, the funding, the record and the willingness to act.

But if we want stronger environmental action, we have to give that priority a voice at the ballot box.

Don't assume somebody else will vote.

Don't assume your vote doesn't matter.

And don't let fear of vote-splitting stop you from examining what the parties actually stand for and making an informed decision.

look up. look around. then do something.

My SkyTrain video was just a little glimpse of Vancouver from my window. I wasn't conducting a scientific study. I was looking at a landscape I've known for years and asking questions about what I was seeing.

That's where paying attention begins.

We remember what our surroundings used to look like. Scientists measure how they are changing. Together, those observations can help us understand what is happening and what needs to be done.

We still have choices. We still have a voice. And we still have a responsibility to those who come after us.

The mountains don't get a vote. The salmon don't get a vote. The orcas don't get a vote. Future generations don't get a vote today.

We do.

Please use yours.

#VoteGreen #ClimateAction #ClimateChange #ProtectOurPlanet #Vancouver #Snowpack #WaterIsLife #EnvironmentalProtection #FutureGenerations #GetOutAndVote