WINNIPEG — It’s time to get your penguin walk on. The roads and sidewalks in Winnipeg are slick with ice, meaning it’s easy to take a tumble.
With a warm up in temperatures combined with freezing rain, an icy sheet has made a tough commute for many on Friday.
One Winnipegger, Maria Durussel, said it usually takes her three minutes to walk to work. But on Friday it took around 20 minutes to navigate the slippery road on Albert Street. Durussel opted to walk on the road and said would be better to risk being hit by a car than breaking her hip from the icy sidewalk.
RELATED: Icy roads prompt school and road closures in Manitoba
Ken Allen with the City of Winnipeg said the icy patches on the roads and sidewalks are normal for this time of year.
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He said city trucks and sanding and salting the roads sanders covering the streets and sidewalks in the same priority level that plows clear snow in.
Allen added that there are 2,588 km of sidewalks city-wide, which his workers are tackling right now.
Channeling your inner penguin
In order to avoid a potentially painful or embarrassing slip, health officials suggests channelling your inner penguin.
RELATED: ‘It’s really treacherous’: Sidewalks slick after warm Winnipeg weekend
It may not be the most graceful way to walk, but the penguin waddle will keep you on your feet. Here’s how you do it:
- Bend slightly and walk flat footed.
- Point your feet out slightly like a penguin.
- Keep your centre of gravity over your feet as much as possible.
- Take shorter, shuffle-like steps.
- Keep your arms at your sides (not in your pockets!).
- Concentrate on keeping your balance.
- Walk slowly.
With files from Caley Ramsay
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