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.
A remote northern Ontario First Nation wants Ottawa to help it find an environmentally responsible way to dispose of the thousands of empty water bottles that have piled up over 27 years under a long-term drinking water advisory. Neskantaga, a fly-in Oji-Cree community with approximately 300 members located about 450 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, Ont., marked a grim milestone on Tuesday — the longest drinking water advisory of any First Nation.
A Lakehead University researcher says it won't be long before data on the amount of plastic in the water at the Thunder Bay harbour can be compared to other areas on the Great Lakes. The northwestern Ontario city currently has one Seabin — designed to collect samples of plastic waste in water — located in the water at Marina Park, which was installed and is cleaned out by city staff.
It’s called the elixir of life. No, it’s not scotch, it’s water. Without it, we all die. If it’s contaminated, water carries diseases too arcane for a modern world, yet cholera, typhoid and dysentery still exist, causing millions of deaths each year. It’s understandable that clean, potable water is a global concern. But here? A couple of hours drive from Bow Glacier, the source of our drinking water? We talk about climate change, about environmental concerns and about reducing our carbon footprint. And we do this while swigging water from plastic bottles.
Ontario's government is working to protect what matters most by identifying priorities for action to help protect the water quality and ecosystems of the Great Lakes and other waterways as part of its commitment in the Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan. Today, Rod Phillips, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and Grand Council Chief Glen Hare co-chaired the Great Lakes Guardian Council, which includes leaders from across Ontario including municipalities, First Nations and Métis communities, environmental organizations, and the science community, to discuss challenges and opportunities around the Great Lakes.
