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.
Climate change is causing mild winter temperatures to become more frequent across the country, one extreme weather expert says. Parts of southern Ontario have seen unseasonably warm temperatures and rainfall warnings in recent days, with some local conservation authorities warning the public to stay away from waterways as water levels are expected to rise due to rain and melting snow.
Town officials in Fort Frances are continuing to work to address flooding in the northwestern Ontario community. As of Monday, Fort Frances has closed sections of Front Street, as well as walking and bike paths along the street. Also closed are the Front Street playground and fitness equipment, the Sorting Gap Marina gas docks and boat launch, Lookout Tower, the Hallett, Crowe Avenue Dock, Point Park and Seven Oaks.
Friday the 13th was a weird weather day for Canada, with provinces experiencing everything from a record-breaking heat to spring snow, flooding and wildfires. In southwestern Quebec and eastern Ontario, spring sizzled away as the thermometer hit 30 degrees or more in cities like Ottawa and Montreal. The summer-like heat has set temperature records in Montreal and the nation’s capital over the past three days and is expected to last into the weekend, with showers possibly moving in on Saturday night and Sunday.
Heavy downpours are causing flooding concerns for some Saskatchewan communities. Environment and Climate Change Canada issued rainfall warnings Friday for southeastern Saskatchewan and western Manitoba. The weather agency says a low-pressure system coming up from North Dakota is bringing widespread rainfalls of 30 to 60 millimetres — which can cause flash floods, water pooling on roads and localized flooding in low-lying areas — and wind gusts up to 80 km/h.
With all the rain being forecasted in the northeast over the next couple of days, Greater Sudbury Utilities wants you to know what to do if your basement floods. With 20 to 40 mm of rain expected to fall in northeastern Ontario by late Thursday morning, Environment Canada has issued a series of rainfall warnings for communities from Wawa to Kirkland Lake and Sault Ste. Marie to Mattawa.
