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 Nunatsiavut government says it's testing water and fish samples after a fuel spill in the Nain harbour as the local Inuit government is calling for accountability. The Canadian Coast Guard said it received a report that on Aug. 19, the MV Keewatin was transferring fuel aboard near the main dock when diesel spilled into the Labrador Sea. The coast guard said a boom and other material was released to try to contain the spill.
The Canadian Coast Guard has issued its first fine against the owner of a derelict and abandoned vessel under a federal law that took effect four years ago. A statement from the coast guard says the agency levied a fine of $15,000 against the owner of a boat that was grounded and abandoned in Cadboro Bay, near Victoria.
The Canadian Coast Guard has activated a pollution response after a partially submerged 65 foot fishing boat leaking oil and fuel was found off the north end of Deas Island in the Fraser River near Richmond on Sunday. The boat could be seen listing to its port side several metres off the north end of Deas Island, near the Massey Tunnel. Fisheries and Oceans Canada told Global News a 'limited amount' of oil and fuel has been discharged into the water.
The Canadian Coast Guard says it is working to contain and assess an oil spill from a container ship in Vancouver's English Bay. According to the coast guard, a pilot notified them of pollution from a ship around 11:40 a.m PT Saturday. Officials say the spill originated from the container vessel MV Europe, with a slick visible from the air on the water close to Spanish Banks beach.
The mayor of Hay River says she'll keep "pounding the table" when it comes to the issue of dredging — or lack thereof — in the community's shipping channel that pours into Great Slave Lake, and she hopes "people are listening." Hay River is a hub for Canadian Coast Guard operations and shipping further North. However, in parts of the channel is a buildup of sediment, which sometimes creates obstacles for boats passing through.
Nootka Sound, British Columbia – The Government of Canada is committed to protecting Canada's oceans and waterways, and is taking action to address the threat posed by wrecked, abandoned and hazardous vessels, including the MV Schiedyk, a historic shipwreck leaking oil off the west coast of Vancouver Island. Today, the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, announced the award of a $5.7 million emergency contract to Resolve Marine Group of Fort Lauderdale, Florida to remove bulk fuel from the MV Schiedyk. The recent results of a technical assessment determined that immediate action to remove bulk fuel is necessary to protect Nootka Sound, an area rich in natural beauty, history, culture, wildlife, and in the traditional territory of the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation.
New rules cracking down on pollution from dirty, cheap marine fuel kicked into gear this week, placing stricter requirements on cargo vessels and cruise ships that are plying northern waters thanks to climate change. As of Jan. 1, Canada is enforcing a new UN-backed cap on the amount of sulphur allowed in heavy fuel oil (HFO) in the waters north of the 60th parallel, federal officials confirmed to National Observer on Thursday. The cap comes as Transport Canada considers a proposal to ban all HFO for ships operating in the Arctic, to address the environmental risks of oil spills.
