Paramedics in Montreal, Laval flooded with calls due to icy conditions

The freezing rain that fell on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning led to more frequent calls for ambulance services in Montreal and Laval.

On Thursday morning, Urgences-santé reported that a large number of emergency calls had been made in both areas.

Environment Canada announced on Wednesday that between five and 10 millimetres of ice would accumulate on the ground as a result of the precipitation.

Surfaces were icy and very slippery almost everywhere in Montreal and Laval in the morning, even though the freezing rain had stopped falling.

On social media, Urgences-santé asked the public to give priority to calls to 811 for health advice and to dial 911 if a life is in danger.

It asked people who saw someone fall to the ground because of the ice to check whether they could get up again. If they are unable to get back on their feet, a call to the emergency services may be necessary.

Urgences-santé sent out a similar message two weeks ago, on Jan. 11, when bad weather made the roads slippery.

There was a high volume of calls that day.

Environment Canada has indicated that the freezing precipitation should end on Thursday morning, but that the respite could be short-lived. Freezing drizzle is expected to fall in the Montreal region late on Friday night, followed by freezing rain.

As of Thursday morning, however, the federal agency had not reported the number of millimetres of freezing rain expected.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 25, 2024.