Extremely cold temperatures have been prevailing in western Canada for several days, so the number of emergency calls for hypothermia and frostbite has been increasing since Monday.
Extreme cold warnings remain in effect on Sunday for many regions in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon.
“Extreme cold affects everyone. Watch for cold symptoms: shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, numbness, and color change of the fingers and toes. Cover yourself. Frostbite can develop on skin exposed to wind chill within minutes,” noted Environment Canada, noting that the cold can also have harmful effects on pets.
According to CTV News, British Columbia Ambulance Service has also seen an increasing number of cold-related calls.
“We are not used to this extreme cold, especially given the wind chill factor we are experiencing,” Brian Twaites, paramedic information officer, told English-language media.
The latter emphasized that frostbite and hypothermia are medical problems for which it is important to call 911, but that it is possible to seek medical advice through 811 for minor emergencies such as falling, on ice or even a minor accident.
In addition to the impact on physical health, extreme cold can also lead to breakdowns. Therefore, the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) asked the population to reduce their electricity consumption.
“We urge all Albertans to immediately reduce their electricity use to essential products. “Extreme cold, resulting in high demand for electricity, puts the province’s power grid at high risk of rotating outages this evening,” Minister of Affordability and Public Services Nathan Neudorf said on Saturday, according to Global News.