QEdge Digital Solutions : Bronwyn, it's great you're getting prepared for winter with your compost pile! Having a good nutrient-rich base will help your garden thrive next year. Getting a compost pile to work in a Winnipeg winter is impressive.

One idea since you'll have to monitor the internal temperature - you could use something like an abb dc charger temperature sensor. Those are designed to measure extreme heat in electric vehicle charging systems. It would let you easily track the core compost temperature with their monitoring software.

Probably overkill but the data could be interesting! Of course regular compost thermometers work fine too. I'm just always looking for ways to incorporate EV tech.

The main thing is trapping heat while allowing some airflow. Sounds like with the dry leaves and insulation you have that covered. Let us know if you get that compost cooking all winter long! You'll be giving workshops on cold weather composting in no time. Wishing you luck from a fellow Canadian gardening enthusiast!