All that wool and fur actually works, sure, but the Inuit build snow houses for a reason — to get out of the wind. A ski mask wet with condensation will freeze to your face, causing frostbite if you're out too long in the wind. Going out in these conditions when you don’t have to is just nuts.

The design and construction of a modern Canadian house is all about the insulation — thick batts of it, with vapour barrier on the inside and Tyvek house wrap on the outside of the structural sheathing, under the cladding. We also have triple-pane thermal windows (eye-wateringly expensive if you have to replace one) that permit passive heating from the bright sunshine that usually comes with the stunning cold. A modern exterior door is essentially a steel and insulation sandwich. With all that, I still have the Hudson’s Bay blanket on the bed, on top of the duvet, and I wear woollen socks night and day.