Nicole Hancock
Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony ...

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.

Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony to heal Chedoke Creek

water distribution

New Water, Wastewater Infrastructure

New Water, Wastewater Infrastructure

The Province is investing more than $3.5 million in water and wastewater infrastructure in Kings County. “Reliable infrastructure is the foundation for building strong, sustainable communities,” said John Lohr, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “We are pleased to fund these projects to upgrade the water distribution and wastewater collection systems to ensure they are reliable and safe. With these investments, we are also investing in the sustainability and growth of these communities.”

Small city, big problem: Why Corner Brook uses so much water

Small city, big problem: Why Corner Brook uses so much water

Twenty million litres of water is filtered at Corner Brook's treatment plant every day — above average for the community's size, say city staff, who are urging residents to conserve. Don Burden, the City of Corner Brook's director of public works, would like it if people ran their taps less often. "Lets keep consumption to the absolute minimum," Burden said in an interview with CBC News. Burden said the average resident of Corner Brook, which has a population of about 23,000 people, consumes more water than an average resident of Newfoundland and Labrador. "Let's keep the watering of lawns to a minimum," he said. "Let's keep a jug of water in the fridge instead of running the tap to get cold water. Run your washer full instead of half-loads. Try not wash your car more than once a week. Try and not wash down your driveway more than once a week. Every little bit helps."

‘They’re really struggling’: Inside the Neskantaga First Nation water crisis

‘They’re really struggling’: Inside the Neskantaga First Nation water crisis

When Chris Moonias woke up thirsty at 4 a.m. in his room at the Victoria Inn on a recent fall day, the first thing he did was look for a bottle of water. Though tap water was available in the bathroom, the Neskantaga First Nation chief grabbed his key, left his room, and walked to a nearby boardroom to find a bottle. He couldn’t bring himself to use the tap. His community has been under a 25-year boil-water advisory, Canada’s longest, and a distrust of running water, he says, has become pervasive among its members: “That’s the continued trauma. I'm not the only one that goes through this. If you go room to room here at the hotel, I guarantee you 100 per cent of those rooms have cases of bottled water.”

'We're not animals': Frustrations mount for Neskantaga First Nation as water crisis drags on

'We're not animals': Frustrations mount for Neskantaga First Nation as water crisis drags on

Twelve-year-old Lyndon Sakanee and some of the other youth held a rally in Thunder Bay last week, calling for action on the water crisis so they can finally go home. “We're not animals or things,” he said. “We are human, like you guys.”

Follow us