Urgences-Santé says if you don't have to go outside, don't — and to call 9-1-1 only in the case of a critical emergency.
The ambulance service serving Montreal and Laval says it's been receiving as many as three times its normal volume of calls because of the icy streets in the area.
"We were really swamped this morning. It's been one heck of a week in general," says Urgences-Santé spokesperson Eddy Afram. "We received, as of [about 4 p.m. Friday], just over 950 calls. By comparison, we usually get about 1,000 calls [on an average] day, and we're not even in the evening yet."
160 of those calls to Urgences-Santé between midnight and 4 p.m. Friday came from people reporting they had fallen.
Afram adds while they have extra staff taking calls and responding to emergencies, he's advising people to consider other options before calling for an ambulance.
"We strongly advise people to only refer to 9-1-1 for vital emergencies, and if they can find alternate means of transport for non-urgent calls, to use them, or to seek medical advice by calling 8-1-1 with Info-Santé," Afram says.
He's also saying if you must go out on the icy streets, to take precautions — make sure your home is accessible and spread abrasives on your walk and outdoor stairs, and do the same for neighbors if they're frail or elderly.