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.
Prolonged and intense drought conditions are forcing the Sunshine Coast's largest water system to impose its highest-level restrictions on water use starting Friday. Stage 4 water restrictions will prohibit outdoor use of drinking water for more than 20,000 residents in communities including Sechelt, Roberts Creek and Halfmoon Bay until further notice.
Calgarians’ outdoor water use is being limited to two hours per week as the city faces continued drought conditions, officials announced Tuesday. It’s the first time the city has imposed such restrictions due to dry conditions, with water flows in the Bow River at their lowest level since 1911 and the Elbow River since 2000, said Nicole Newton, the city’s manager of natural environment and adaptation.
Kamloops is implementing stricter water use regulations amid worsening drought conditions in the Thompson River, a situation one conservationist says is putting salmon habitat at risk. The new water conservation measures the municipality in B.C.'s Interior is putting in place include a ban on water sprinklers for lawn irrigation. However, watering is still permitted with handheld spring-loaded nozzles.
Sean Stanford's wheat farm just south of Lethbridge, Alta. falls within the far left corner of Palliser's Triangle — an expanse of prairie grassland encompassing much of southeast Alberta, a swath of southern Saskatchewan, and the southwest corner of Manitoba. The area is named for explorer Capt. John Palliser, who in 1857, famously declared the entire region a wasteland — so hot and arid that no crops would ever grow.
Sicamous is under its first stage of water restrictions, limiting the times when residents can water their lawns. The district’s Stage 1 of water restrictions go into effect from May 1 to September 30. Sprinklers and irrigation systems are allowed to run at odd-numbered civic addresses on odd days and at even-numbered addresses on even days. There is no time restriction for watering under this schedule. Manual watering is allowed at any time, on any day for all addresses under Stage 1.
Lawn watering restrictions are in effect starting Sunday in Metro Vancouver, with properties only allowed to water their lawns once a week until October. The restriction is part of the region's annual drinking water conservation plans, with the regional government saying water use spikes by 50 per cent during the summer — largely due to lawn watering. The day on which property owners can water their lawns is determined by their property number — even-numbered and odd-numbered properties have designated days.
Vancouver is known for rain and snow-capped mountains, both of which supply the city's water reservoirs. But as climate change continues to alter weather patterns and reduce rainfall, the supply will dwindle and Uytae Lee is thirsty for action to be taken now. Metro Vancouver is also predicting another one million people will arrive in the region by 2050 and predicts a water "supply gap" by 2030.
