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.
The series of black pipes currently jutting out onto Elm Street, coupled with the groups of construction workers toiling away this summer, means some big infrastructure projects are in the works for downtown Sudbury, one of more than 20 the city hopes to wrap up by winter. Brittany Hallam, the city's director of linear infrastructure services, said improvements to the city's water mains is the cause of the congestion, and the snake-like trail of pipe running along the sidewalks.
