Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.
An estimated 20,000 litres of fuel were spilled near the Meadowbank gold mine in the Kivalliq region of Nunavut after a loaded fuel tanker rolled over on an all-season road. In a news release on Tuesday, Agnico Eagle, Meadowbank Complex's owner, said it doesn't appear as though fuel has entered any freshwater body. It said the spill was reported on Monday. The road was closed as Meadowbank personnel implemented emergency spill measures and ongoing remediation action, the release said.
In the North, some mines risk leaking acid if the permafrost melts, while across Canada heavier rainfall will add strain to tailings dams and a lack of it could throw operations. While no strangers to extreme weather, the growing risks from climate change are forcing the mining industry to take a hard look at their methods and how to prepare for the worst. Many of the most prudent actions to minimize risk are, however, also more costly, meaning that while some have taken them on, not everyone has followed suit.
