I wouldn't be cranking after it's started. Not good for the starter.

The way I see it, you have a couple options. One is to invest in a block heater. Great for cold winters (I assume you're in Canada too, my car had a little trouble starting in -16 the other day too).

The other option is to get yourself a bit of a winter tune-up. They'll do plugs, timing, maybe distributor, depending on how long it's been since your last tune, etc. etc.. You'll find it helps a lot with smoothness in the cold weather.