'Ahhh, I hate this, but you do what you do': Working outside in the Calgary cold

There's no shortage of Calgarians complaining about the snow and the cold while they drive their heated cars to and from their heated offices and homes. But what of those who have to face the elements to earn a paycheque?

"I dread it when I get up and check the weather in the morning and then I've got to go outside in –20 C and –25 C, so I'm like, ahhh, I hate this, but you do what you do," said Jarrett Geczi, working outside at a construction site on Monday morning.

His colleague, Jordan Rasmussen, was a little more accepting of the temperatures. 

"I'd rather work in the cold than the heat, because you can warm up but you can't cool down," he said. 

Long haul

Truckers might not have the numb fingers and toes of Gezci and Rasmussen, but they do have to face down treacherous road conditions.

At the Roadking Truck Stop, Barry Jones was preparing for a drive to Kelowna, B.C., and figured he had 10 hours of driving ahead of him.

"I don't know what a lot of them do, but I slow down," Jones said of the conditions. "There's no load out there that's so important that you go in the ditch or take somebody else out on the highway. But it's going to be terrible."

He deals with it, but there are other things on his mind. 

"Makes for a longer day. More stress in your job. It's … I'd personally like to go back to bed," he said with a laugh. 

Warming up

These workers will have to deal with winter weather for the next couple of days, with temperatures expected to warm up by Wednesday. 

Until then, Rasmussen suggests layers are the way to keep warm. 

Geczi, however, suggests not ending up working outside in the first place is the best solution. 

"Maybe just go to school and think about it again," he said. 

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With files from Andrew Brown