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.
While Cochrane remains under a state of emergency, town officials announced water reservoir levels have been partially restored after a major pipeline break over the weekend. Speaking to the media Wednesday, emergency management deputy director Shawn Polley said that thanks to voluntary conservation efforts from residents and business, as well as water hauling from nearby communities, reservoir levels had "stabilized."
Cochrane has declared a state of local emergency after water line breaks drained the town’s water supply — alongside sewage — into the Bow River, and town officials are pleading with residents to cut back on water use. At a news conference Tuesday, town officials said the effects of the break in water and wastewater lines Saturday have depleted water reservoirs to “critical levels.”
Lakeshore town officials announced Monday evening that a boil water advisory in place since Dec. 23 for more than 550 properties had ended. Properties in northeast Lakeshore, including Lighthouse Cove, Crystal Beach, Laforet Beach and Couture Beach, were told to boil their water after a water main break Friday morning. “We appreciate everyone’s patience,” said Krystal Kalbol, Lakeshore’s corporate leader of operations. “We’d also like to thank all of our dedicated staff who responded.”
