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 Ottawa Hospital has temporarily turned off the water in certain units at its General campus after confirming a case of legionellosis. As a precautionary measure, water service was suspended the morning of Sept. 21 after a patient was diagnosed with legionellosis — the broad term for a number of diseases, including legionnaire's disease, caused by the water-borne legionella bacteria. Service was suspended Monday on floors four through eight as the water system at the campus underwent a "hyperchlorination process," the hospital said.
An outbreak of legionnaires' disease is responsible for the deaths of two people in east-end Montreal, according to public health officials. At a news conference Wednesday, officials said they have identified 10 cases of the disease since mid-June, including the deaths of two people over the age of 65. The area of concern is bordered by Pie-IX Boulevard to the west, Highway 25 to the east, Highway 40 to the north and the Saint-Lawrence River to the south.
Patients and staff at Salt Spring Island's sole hospital are still relying on bottled water, months after legionella bacteria was detected in the facility's water system. Island Health advised against using the water at Lady Minto Hospital for drinking or bathing in March, when routine testing showed low levels of the bacteria were present.
