Winter’s Back! Stay Safe with These Simple Tips

As winter conditions return, the risk of slip-and-fall injuries rises sharply across North America — leading to hundreds of thousands of emergency room visits each year.

In Canada, winter fall statistics show over 760,000 fall-related ER visits were recorded in Ontario alone between November and March. In Alberta — particularly in Edmonton and Calgary — hospitals report hundreds of emergency visits per week during icy conditions, especially after snowfalls and during freeze–thaw cycles that create black ice.

Alberta Health Services has repeatedly urged residents to take precautions, such as:

– Wearing proper winter footwear with good traction

– Using ice cleats or traction aids

– Applying salt or sand on walkways and driveways

– Holding onto handrails when using stairs

– Walking with short, flat steps to maintain balance

Adults aged 30 to 64 tend to experience the most falls, often resulting in fractures (wrist, hip, or ankle), head injuries, and soft tissue damage.

A simple tip: try walking like a penguin — keeping your knees slightly bent, feet turned outward, and your body leaning slightly forward. This technique helps maintain stability on icy surfaces. (There are even YouTube videos demonstrating the “penguin walk.”)

Stay alert, slow down, and take steps to protect yourself and others as the snow season begins. May God keep us all safe in Jesus’ name.

The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy soul. 8The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in, From this time forth, and even for evermore.

• Psalm 121:7,8