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.
Here are five things we suggest residents living in flood zones should keep in mind while we all wait and see what happens next on the Ottawa River, 1. If flood waters have reached the level of your well head, or covered it, do not drink water from that well until the well water has been tested and you can’t test the water until the river has receded a significant amount more. 2. Ottawa Public Health has outlined clear steps that need to be taken before well water is safe again for drinking.
Federal and provincial politicians in New Brunswick agree something needs to be done to address a lack of insurance coverage for residences and businesses in flood zones, but they seem to differ on whether secondary homes and future builds deserve their intervention. Premier Blaine Higgs and federal Infrastructure Minister Dominic LeBlanc were commenting in the wake of damage to properties along the east coast during post-tropical storm Fiona. According to Higgs, damage to about 100 properties has been reported in New Brunswick.
Even as floodwaters across the region stabilize, health officials are warning people living in flood zones — particularly those who get water from wells — to remain vigilant. Hundreds of homes have been damaged by the devastating floods that have washed through eastern Ontario and western Quebec, forcing residents and volunteers to spend days filling and loading up sandbags to protect their communities.
