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Oh the weather outside is frightful,

But the fire is so delightful.

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Since we’ve no place to go,

Let it snow, let it snow, let it — ZAP!

The power has suddenly gone out. Are you ready for an emergency?

According to the federal government’s “Get Prepared” website, “you need to be able to take care of your family for at least 72 hours” if the grid goes down and official help is unavailable. Could you survive at home alone in winter without electricity, gas, cell service and water for three days?

Stockpiling water, non-perishable food, batteries, medications and a first-aid kit are all necessities, of course. But what if there’s a blizzard outside — how will you stay warm? Then your only option, says Ottawa, is to use a “non-electric stove or heater, or a wood-burning fireplace.”

How strange that our biggest cities are removing this option

How strange, then, that some of Canada’s biggest cities are removing this option. By banning fireplaces and wood stoves, Montreal and Metro Vancouver are denying citizens the means to keep warm during a catastrophic ice storm or similar emergency. It’s apparently more important to reduce emissions than it is to allow humans the ability to save themselves in a crisis.