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.
Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness
Gene Runtz is worried. As the mayor of McBride, B.C., he is staring down the barrel of a potential water shortage this winter that could leave residents and firefighters desperate during a prolonged drought season. The village, about 180 kilometres east of Prince George in central B.C., declared a state of emergency on Sept. 19 and restricted water usage the following day while under Stage 5 drought conditions — the highest level on the province's severity scale.
The forecast heat is expected to accelerate the snowmelt at higher elevations, which will increase pressure on the province’s rivers and streams. The River Forecast Centre is monitoring weather patterns and river conditions, and the River Forecast Centre website has updated flood warning and advisory notifications, including a map of areas of heightened flood risk. The RFC is forecasting increasing flooding hazards in the B.C. Interior over the weekend and through next week due to rapid snowmelt. Key areas of concern include the Fraser River from Prince George through the Fraser Canyon, Cariboo Mountains, North Thompson, South Thompson, Shuswap, Similkameen, Kootenay and Skeena regions.
