This week, Amy Poehler’s Golden Globe-winning podcast, Good Hang, welcomed the iconic Jennifer Lawrence. The two chatted about women in Hollywood, Jennifer’s upcoming projects, and (obviously) Jennifer’s undying love for Bravo’s Real Housewives. However, one question in particular has sparked a heated online debate amongst Canadians, and as a fellow Canadian, I am here to defend ourselves.
During the podcast episode, Amy Poehler asked Jennifer Lawrence about the coldest day she’s ever experienced on set. Jennifer initially guessed it was a day spent on a frozen lake while filming The Hunger Games, but then corrected herself, saying, “It was actually in Calgary while filming Die, My Love. It was August, so it was supposed to be warm. There weren’t any warming coats, and I was just in a T-shirt.”
She went on to say, “That broke my heart. It made me want to cry… I did cry.” And as someone who grew up in Alberta, Canada, I have to say: if August is the problem — a month that regularly hits 30°C (90°F) — you absolutely do not want to experience Alberta in the winter, when temperatures can plunge to –50°C (–58°F).
Amy laughed before adding, “This proves my point that it’s never warm in Canada. It’s always f***ing freezing. Even in August. Always. And Canadians pretend like, ‘Oh, we’ve had a really nice day,’ but no, you did not have a nice day.”
Jennifer Lawrence then shared that she cried in her trailer because she was so cold, before suddenly remembering that she was also pregnant at the time, adding, “I was pregnant, of course I cried. I probably cried every day.”
Before we dive into how Canadians are reacting to the bold claim that it’s always cold in Canada, I thought I’d leave you with a little PSA…and some cold, hard facts about Canada to clear the (not always freezing) air.
While Canada may be known for its cold, most of the population actually lives in the southern part of the country. Major cities like Calgary — where Die, My Love was filmed — sit just about 234 km (145 miles) north of the Montana border. Vancouver’s weather is very similar to Seattle’s, and Toronto’s is comparable to New York’s. And no, we don’t live in igloos, ride moose, and drive snowmobiles on the daily.
Now that’s out of the way, here’s what some Canadians have to say about Amy and Jennifer’s bold statement:
Canadians, what do you think of Jennifer and Amy’s comments that it’s always cold here? Tell me in the comments. And if you’re American, share a Canadian stereotype you actually believe, and I’ll tell you whether it’s true or not.