This edition was prepared from Montreal where we received more than 74 cm of snow in mid-February. Snow that teams are still working to collect. Because yes, we collect snow in town and place it elsewhere... Because there is no room. A subject that inspired this trendsletter. ❄️❄️

Happy reading

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In winter, we shovel it, we push it, we export it... as if it were a burden. However, snow could be much more than an obstacle to clear. During a project on the future of Nordicity with the cultural business accelerator ​La Piscine, a few years ago, I explored this question in depth. Today, I dive back into this fascinating universe with you with great pleasure.

STRUCTURE: This newsletter is built using a signal→trends approach: from broad societal movements to emerging micro-initiatives and sources of geographic monitoring are shared below.

2 current trends

1️⃣ The rise of Nordic baths 🛁❄️

From the popularity of outdoor spas to the adoption of ice baths, voluntary exposure to the cold is increasingly seen as a tool for well-being and resilience.

2️⃣ Winter cycling on the rise 🚲🌨️

Infrastructure and equipment are adapting, and the practice is becoming a viable winter mode of transportation in several Nordic cities. Winter mobility is also becoming more accepted.

Winter weak signals

From here and elsewhere, here are some initiatives that are rethinking our relationship with snow and winter:

• ​Skate bikes for rent​ for riding on ice. 🚴‍♂️
• ​#Snowmethemoney a campaign demonstrating the speed at which snow can grow GDP and the intrinsic link between these two concepts in Canada.🌨️💰
• A Finnish city launched the first ​urban ski sharing service​ 🏂
• ​A ​virtual ski coach​ to perfect your descents 🎿
• Since 2000, ​a Swedish hospital has been storing snow to air-condition its buildings in summer. Two airports also have it: Hokkaido (2010) and Oslo (2017) use snow to cool their infrastructure. 🔥

Where to observe the winter novelty🔎

Nordic countries, of course

• 🇸🇪Sweden: Also a champion of sustainable tourism, Sweden shows
• 🇳🇴Norway and his philosophy of life: friluftsliv which means “life in the open air”
• 🇫🇮 Finland which has several initiatives in place such as the one named above for self-service cross-country skiing.

🇯🇵 Japan which is between traditions and cutting-edge technologies, in particular the city of Hokkaido comes up several times in researches.

🇨🇦 Canada in particular the city of Winnipeg with its annual ​Warming Huts 🛖 competition and other initiatives such as the aforementioned skate bikes at The Forks too (downtown park).

🇨🇦 These other places where the novelty is hidden in Quebec (province of Canada), in particular:

• The ​Ouranos, a Quebec research center on climate adaptation including how snow is affected
• ​Hiver en nous artistic and research project including an installation questioning: “Who owns the snow? » “What if winter no longer existed? »
• ​Cent Degrés which calls into question, through its articles, many practices for the good of young people and all.
• The ​city of Montreal with its many festivals​ to bring people outside, a little special to dance in snowsuits: Igloofest, Montréal en Lumière, etc.

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In the past

In case you missed it. 🎙Marie-Michèle was on the microphone of ​Votre Samedi, Radio Canada to speak about deconsumption and its related behaviors (FR only)

In the future

📅 Saturday March 22 between 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. 2025, at the Palais des congrès: Signing for the book Rien de neuf at the Expo Manger Santé et Vivre Vert

📅 March 24, 25 or 26, 2025 (exact date to be determined) Marie-Michèle will be at Place Alexis Nihon for the pop-up event En Mode surcyclage, Magasine ta solution to repair objects!

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See you soon,

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