Whether rural life in Canada is brutal depends on where you're from. And your definition of brutal. Between 20 minutes north of Toronto and the start of the Arctic Circle there is a fair bit of variation. If you grew up in the desert and have never lived anywhere cold, you might find it brutal. If you come from somewhere that has snowy winters and you don't mind bundling up you might find that you love Canadian winters (I do!) They're absolutely essential if you want to enjoy such lovely outdoor activities as tobogganing, skiing (downhill and x-counrty), snowboarding, ice skating, hockey, snowshoeing, beerbogganing, and camping in a Quinzhee.