Studies have shown that time spent outside is beneficial to mental and physical well being – in a number of different ways. In adults, depression rates decrease with outdoor physical activity and prolonged exposure to vitamin D. Children who live a more active lifestyle, as compared to a sedentary one, consistently test higher in reading comprehension and math skills. Additionally, outdoor play exposes children to sunlight, fresh air, and natural elements, which in turn benefits the immune system, contributes to healthy bone development, and encourages a lifetime of physical activity. 

It has certainly been a rainy winter in Vancouver.

Unfortunately, it seems as though it’s only getting rainier: the overall annual number of high intensity rainfall days have increased here since the mid 1970s, likely an effect of urbanization and global climatic change. Climate change analysis predicts this trend, in tandem with rising sea levels, will continue into the future, so don’t put away those umbrellas anytime soon.

Vancouver is a city challenged with a climatic contradiction. Hemmed in between mountains and ocean, the city is fortunate to be home to one of the most moderate climates in Canada. It also has to contend with some of the wettest weather conditions, where average annual precipitation rates in Vancouver float around 1450 millimeters. Under these circumstances, it’s not abnormal for the city to experience upwards of twenty consecutive days of rain in wintertime.