Shameless opportunity to share one of my favourite youtube videos from the last few years:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhx-26GfCBU

TL;DW Oulu, Finland is as cold and snowy as any population center in Canada. Plenty of people bike there year round. The issue is municipal infrastructure, not climate.

To help clarify. There are many different northern climates. Close to the oceans,which is Coastal, is very different than continental. I think there is misconception for those who don't understand, because how can they(?) If they have not experienced a Canadian or Siberian prairie winter. 30 to 40 degrees below zero ( °f=°c), wind blowing, constantly 30 to 50 km/hr(20-30mph), so wind chill maybe - 60 or more. (exposed skin frozen ~dead immediately.) Roads not only snowy and icy, but blowing snow, so poor visibility. Equipment breaks from the cold, for example if you go through a pot hole - and can't avoid that because there are no sidewalks or shoulders because snow. This weather can last for 2,3,4 months. We do play outside when we can, with preparation, but commuting, and shopping for essentials, is not playing.