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.
Minor flooding in the Town of Mattawa, combined with steadily rising water levels, prompted Mayor Raymond Belanger to declare a state of emergency Tuesday. In a statement, the town said that water levels are expected to continue rising until they reach a peak of about 154.6 metres. “The Town of Mattawa put a plan in place,” the statement said.
