Nicole Hancock
Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony ...

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.

Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony to heal Chedoke Creek

Atlantic Canada

Destructive freshwater Zebra mussels officially found in Atlantic Canada

Destructive freshwater Zebra mussels officially found in Atlantic Canada

Zebra mussels, an invasive species that kills native mussels and chokes drinking water systems, have been discovered in the Saint John River in New Brunswick, the farthest east in Canada they've been positively identified. Fisheries and Oceans Canada said last week in a release that environmental DNA tests over the summer had detected the presence of the small Eurasian freshwater mussels with the telltale striped pattern in parts of the river as far apart as Edmundston, Grand Falls and Nackawic, communities that span more than 200 kilometres.

Atlantic Canada ocean temperatures set records again in 2022

Atlantic Canada ocean temperatures set records again in 2022

Ocean temperatures in Atlantic Canada set record highs again in 2022, according to the latest assessment released by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Results from the annual Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program show surface, intermediate and bottom temperatures were well above normal last year. "It was widespread. It was everywhere," said Peter Galbraith, a DFO research scientist in Mont-Joli, Que. "It was really, really warm across the zone."

Insurance Bureau of Canada Encourages Residents in Atlantic Canada to Prepare for 2023 Flood Season

Insurance Bureau of Canada Encourages Residents in Atlantic Canada to Prepare for 2023 Flood Season

As the warmer spring weather arrives in Atlantic Canada, rain coupled with snowmelt in parts of the region presents an increased risk of flooding. Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is informing consumers about how they can prepare for the 2023 flood season by protecting themselves and their property from water damage. "As we've seen many times across the Atlantic Canada, flooding can cause extensive damage to your home and property," said Amanda Dean, Vice-President, Atlantic, IBC. "Being prepared for any severe weather event is important for your personal safety and financial security. Part of that includes mitigating any damage to your property when it is safe to do so."

Data shows Ontario, Quebec have worst water quality in Canada

Data shows Ontario, Quebec have worst water quality in Canada

A report from Environment and Climate Change Canada said Ontario and Quebec have the poorest water quality in Canada, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. “Calculated trends using data from 2002 to 2020 show no site with improved water quality,” said the report. “During that same period, water quality deteriorated at 24 sites.” Water quality showed no improvement in the past two decades because of raw sewage dumped into waterways. Regional waterways with worsening quality included Ottawa’s Rideau River, Toronto’s Humber and Don rivers, and Quebec’s Chateauguay, Jacques-Cartier, and la Petite Nation rivers.

Water main break closes Sackville E.R. for the weekend, officials say

Water main break closes Sackville E.R. for the weekend, officials say

The emergency department at Sackville Memorial Hospital is "closed unexpectedly" for the weekend because of a water main break, Horizon Health Network says. In a news release issued Saturday, Horizon said the emergency department will remain closed until 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25. Horizon said it will provide an update on the emergency department's reopening on Sunday.

Warm water, low levels prompt DFO to restrict salmon fishing in central Newfoundland

Warm water, low levels prompt DFO to restrict salmon fishing in central Newfoundland

High water temperatures and declining levels in several central Newfoundland rivers have prompted the federal fisheries regulator to impose restrictions on salmon harvesting in the region. Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced Wednesday that the Exploits, Leamington and Western Arm rivers, as well as Peter's River and Charles Brook in the Bay of Exploits, will be closed to salmon anglers outside the morning hours.

The Government of Canada supports New Brunswick organizations in keeping water clean and protecting key ecosystems

The Government of Canada supports New Brunswick organizations in keeping water clean and protecting key ecosystems

From addressing water quality to plastic pollution, the Government of Canada is working with Canadians across the country to keep water safe, clean and well-managed, now and for future generations. Today, Member of Parliament for Fredericton, Jenica Atwin, on behalf of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, announced $440,000 in funding for three new projects to directly address water-quality issues in the Wolastoq/Saint John River watershed. The funding comes from the Atlantic Ecosystems Initiatives, which aims to improve the health, productivity, and sustainability of priority ecosystems in Atlantic Canada.

Storm hitting Atlantic Canada 'very similar' to what struck B.C.: meteorologist

Storm hitting Atlantic Canada 'very similar' to what struck B.C.: meteorologist

“It's a very similar storm,” Bob Robichaud, a senior Environment Canada meteorologist based in Nova Scotia, told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview. “It's the same type of atmospheric setup that would generate this type of rainfall.” He explained that this type of extreme rainfall event, like the one in B.C., occurs when a “very concentrated plume of moisture in the atmosphere that streams up from the tropics” becomes part of a storm.

Canada's Beloved Theodore TOO Announces Collaboration with Swim Drink Fish and Advocacy for Marine Industry Employment and Revitalization

Canada's Beloved Theodore TOO Announces Collaboration with Swim Drink Fish and Advocacy for Marine Industry Employment and Revitalization

While reaffirming Theodore TOO's unwavering commitment to promoting Canada's Maritimes, the tugboat's owner, Blair McKeil, announced today a collaboration with one of the nation's leading water education and conservation advocates, Swim Drink Fish, which will see Theodore TOO play a larger role in promoting several of the organization's initiatives including its Great Lakes Guide. Plans are also in the works to have Theodore TOO actively advocate for employment in Canada's marine and shipbuilding industry in the face of a critical labour shortage through federal and industry-driven revitalization initiatives.

Research finds fishing gear a major source of ocean microplastics in Atlantic Canada

Research finds fishing gear a major source of ocean microplastics in Atlantic Canada

Two years ago, researchers collected microplastics from pristine surface waters at three nearshore locations in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, finding tiny and unrecognizable fragments, threads and fibres in every trawl. Chemical analysis has now identified the synthetic polymers that made up those miniscule pieces of plastic and confirmed what was expected: the microplastics were shed from easily recognized sources. "Fishing gear, fishing rope, fragments of nets and particles that would come from that kind of activity, that is a big source of microplastics," said Ariel Smith, the coastal and marine team lead for Coastal Action, the environmental group that is leading a three-year Atlantic Canadian microplastics research project.

Ground-breaking First Nations Water Authority takes first steps in Atlantic region

Ground-breaking First Nations Water Authority takes first steps in Atlantic region

The Atlantic First Nations Water Authority has taken its first steps with the appointment of a First Nations board of directors from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

First Nations chiefs blast feds over Potlotek water woes

First Nations chiefs blast feds over Potlotek water woes

On Monday, people in Cape Breton reserve advised not to use tap water to wash clothes, bathe or drink
A group of First Nations chiefs in Atlantic Canada is blasting the federal government for what it sees as a lack of action in fixing the yearlong water problem in Potlotek First Nation in Cape Breton.

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