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.
Mining, however, has devastating consequences on the environment and is associated with forest loss, contamination of freshwater resources as well as the impoverishment and displacement of communities. Between 2008 and 2017, mining waste failures in the country have killed more than 340 people, polluted hundreds of kilometres of waterways, wiped our fish populations and jeopardised the livelihoods of entire communities.
With government agencies dealing with the urgent public safety needs of the day, the health of fish habitat ranked low on the list of priorities. But as floodwaters rose, the distinction between terrestrial and aquatic habitats blurred, salmon and sturgeon swam across farmers’ fields, and contaminants from human activities washed unfettered into streams and rivers.
At the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland last week, world leaders announced that water stewardship and climate action must be coordinated to stop the deterioration of the natural environment, which means caring for our local water sources is essential. Columbia Basin lakes could arguably be considered the heart of many communities. Lakes provide clean drinking water, endless recreational options for tourism, and economic value through lake foreshore property values. Lakes and their surrounding foreshore are also highly sensitive to climate and respond rapidly to change.
