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 security

UCalgary awarded 2 prestigious Canada Excellence Research Chairs

UCalgary awarded 2 prestigious Canada Excellence Research Chairs

Deborah McGregor is an internationally celebrated scholar and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Environmental Justice. She joins UCalgary from York University, where she was cross-appointed to the Osgoode Hall Law School and the Faculty of Environment and Urban Change. As the CERC in Indigenous Ways of Climate and Water Sustainability for Planetary Health and Well-being, McGregor will generate understanding of, and build support for, Indigenous leadership in Earth-based reconciliation and justice, focusing on climate change as the overriding symptom of the planetary health crisis.

New report says national agrifood water strategy needed

New report says national agrifood water strategy needed

Canada should be exploiting its enormous water resources to be both a sustainable food powerhouse and a global water research superpower, says a new paper from the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute. Yet the country’s water policies, management and research efforts are underdeveloped and unco-ordinated, leaving water resources and challenges largely unaddressed. That’s something that a national plan should fix, says the report written by Tyler McCann, Angele Poirier and Nicolas Mesly.

Sask. First Nations gather for water conference

Sask. First Nations gather for water conference

People from across the province are in Saskatoon this week with the goal of ensuring safe, clean drinking water in First Nation communities. Around 200 participants have gathered for the AGM, conference, trade show and banquet of the Saskatchewan First Nations Water Association (SFNWA).

Disrupting the myth of water abundance in Ontario

Disrupting the myth of water abundance in Ontario

Ontario may seem to be a water secure region, but new research out of the University of Waterloo challenges the myth of water abundance in the Great Lakes watershed. Using a first-of-its-kind risk analysis, researchers connected water quality, quantity, regulations and public concern to obtain a more comprehensive picture of water security at the local level. The novel approach revealed that at least half of the studied watersheds had a moderate to high potential for risk.

Theatre, art, and water security central in international USask exhibition

Theatre, art, and water security central in international USask exhibition

The theme of the exhibition chosen through conversations and interviews with students across Canada is water security. Titled Troubled Water / Eaux Troubles, the project being brought to Prague is a multidisciplinary piece including aspects of sculpture, painting, music, theatre, and more. In addition, Dr. Graham Strickert (PhD) with USask’s School of Environment and Sustainability, and the Global Institute for Water Security, spoke to the students involved with the project about being mindful and thoughtful about the topic their artwork is focusing on.

Government of Canada invests in 17 Canadian companies creating economic growth and good jobs

Government of Canada invests in 17 Canadian companies creating economic growth and good jobs

Symbient Environmental ($1.5 million) of Mississauga, Ontario – a start-up wastewater treatment company that is pioneering a low-cost system to disinfect wastewater using performic acid instead of chlorine, reducing impacts on aquatic environments.

Trapped sediment in dams 'endangers' water supplies: UN

Trapped sediment in dams 'endangers' water supplies: UN

Thousands of the world's large dams are so clogged with sediment that they risk losing more than a quarter of their storage capacity by 2050, UN researchers said Wednesday, warning of the threat to water security. A new study from the UN University's Institute for Water, Environment and Health found that, by mid-century, dams and reservoirs will lose about 1.65 trillion cubic metres of water storage capacity to sediment.

Short on fresh water, North Africa turns to desalination for water security

Short on fresh water, North Africa turns to desalination for water security


Low water levels reveal dry, crusty banks of the Nile River. As one of the longest rivers in the world is threatened by both overuse and climate change, so is the water security of the millions of people who rely on it for daily use in Sudan and Egypt. As the host country of the COP27 climate conference, Egypt kept water security front and centre. Monday was "water day" at the summit, and desalination was a hot topic.

Global Water Futures Observatories a critical step towards water security for Canadians

Global Water Futures Observatories a critical step towards water security for Canadians

Now six years on, GWF is the largest and most published university-led freshwater research program in the world and includes 213 faculty investigators, 531 end-users, 1,826 new researchers, and a network of 23 Canadian universities working on 65 projects and core teams. The program has also established or operates 76 water observation sites, 27 deployable measurement systems, and 31 state-of-the-art university-based environmental and aquatic analysis facilities.

Fragile water system in Small Point warns of big problems elsewhere Social Sharing

Fragile water system in Small Point warns of big problems elsewhere Social Sharing

Leaky pipes, a water source that's depleting, and climate change threatening the whole fragile system. The town of Small Point-Broad Cove-Blackhead-Adam's Cove has unique challenges with its water system, but the big picture looks all too familiar in small towns throughout the province. Most mornings, longtime municipal worker Mike Hurley starts his day by checking the wells. The town's water system is composed of a series of wells, bringing water from deep underground to nearby houses through plastic pipes. Hurley has his hands full battling leaks and mechanical breakdowns, but there are some problems he can't fix.

Sophisticated tools enable USask researchers to advance water security, human health

Sophisticated tools enable USask researchers to advance water security, human health

The new equipment will help Dr. Helen Baulch (PhD) examine specifics of how extreme Prairie weather and seasonality affects water security in a region that has long fought to maintain water quality. Dr. Asmahan AbuArish (PhD) will work to uncover the key molecular players behind cases of inflammatory pulmonary disease, using fluorescence imaging and molecular biophysics expertise. Dr. Jenny-Lee Thomassin (PhD) will use specialized technology to better understand bacteria proliferation in complex real-world environments.

INVESTIGATING IMPACT: FRESHWATER RESEARCH SUPPORTS WATER SECURITY IN CANADA’S ARCTIC COMMUNITIES

INVESTIGATING IMPACT: FRESHWATER RESEARCH SUPPORTS WATER SECURITY IN CANADA’S ARCTIC COMMUNITIES

Today is World Water Day, an annual reminder of the importance of fresh water. Though many of us take it for granted, there are billions of people around the world who don’t have access to clean, reliable water — some are right here in Canada. For the approximately 150,000 people who live in Canada’s Arctic, there’s no ignoring the fact that fresh water is a finite resource. “Igloolik ran out of water in 2015,” recalls Andrew Medeiros, assistant professor with the School for Resource and Environmental Studies. “The reservoir was not large enough; the dry summer meant the reservoir didn't fill completely while the subsequent extended winter meant they were drawing too much while there was ice on it.”

OBWB briefs: Survey shows rising concern for water security

OBWB briefs: Survey shows rising concern for water security

A secure water source is the top environmental issue in the province, according to a public opinion poll released Oct. 20 by the Real Estate Foundation of BC and the University of Victoria’s POLIS Water Sustainability Project. In a survey report presented to the Okanagan Basin Water Board directors at their Nov. 2 meeting, a majority of respondents, 77 per cent, want industry to pay more to restore and secure watersheds. And 66 per cent of respondents, up from 57 per cent in the last survey done in 2018, now say they are concerned about the potential for a major water crisis in their community over the next few years.

The Grand River is full of contaminants says award winning Indigenous McMaster prof.

The Grand River is full of contaminants says award winning Indigenous McMaster prof.

"I don't think any of us were really prepared for the scope and magnitude of the problem so we had to continuously write more grants to address emerging issues. More than anything, it was shocking," said Martin-Hill, who is Mohawk and Wolf Clan. "I really assumed the worst case scenario was going to be in Alberta and to find out the kinds of contamination that have gone into the Grand River for a century, the problems here are much worse."

Leaders link tackling water and climate at COP26 as crisis looms

Leaders link tackling water and climate at COP26 as crisis looms

Governments and U.N. agencies meeting at COP26 in Glasgow https://www.reuters.com/business/cop formed a water and climate coalition on Tuesday to address growing hazards and shrinking reserves. Led by the presidents of Tajikistan and Hungary, the coalition will seek to implement reforms which the United Nations' World Meteorological Organization says are needed in the global management of water resources.

EnerDynamic Sees Sale Of First Air To Water Solar Unit

EnerDynamic Sees Sale Of First Air To Water Solar Unit

EnerDynamic Hybrid Technologies (TSXV: EHT) has completed its first solar mobile system under its previously announced joint venture with Cinergex Solutions. The system, which is to be sold under the Solastream label, is an “air to water” solar mobile system. The machine itself uses patented technology that uses humidity to draw water from the air as a sustainable water solution. The tech when deployed effectively allows for fresh drinking water to be extracted from the air, enabling water security for its users.

Acclaimed Hamilton-based UN think-tank celebrates 25 years studying water security

Acclaimed Hamilton-based UN think-tank celebrates 25 years studying water security

Did you know there are more people in India with access to a cellphone than a toilet? Or that burning the world’s annual human waste output could yield the equivalent of $9.5 billion in non-renewable natural gas? Or that, every day, about 2,020 hectares of irrigated land worldwide becomes unfarmable because of salty soil? These findings, on water scarcity and environmental health, are considered groundbreaking in the scientific community. They also offer a snapshot into the extensive resumé of a Hamilton-based think-tank.

Canadian scientist receives University of Oklahoma International Water Prize

Canadian scientist receives University of Oklahoma International Water Prize

Cultural anthropologist Dawn Martin-Hill, Ph.D., has been named the 2022 University of Oklahoma International Water Prize recipient for her commitment to improving water security for the people of the Six Nations of the Grand River, the largest Native reserve in Canada. Martin-Hill, an associate professor at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, was recognized at the OU International WaTER Symposium for her contributions to understanding how water quality and security are linked to Indigenous community culture, livelihood and health.

Public invited to join virtual, in-person Canada Water Agency discussions

Public invited to join virtual, in-person Canada Water Agency discussions

The City of Sault Ste. Marie is partnering with the Lake Huron Collaborative’s Dr. Elaine Ho-Tassone to host eight community discussion sessions in regards to bringing a Canada Water Agency location to the Sault, the city said in a news release issued today. These discussions, to be held over the next few weeks, will include both in-person and online events, helping to understand the community’s perspectives regarding having the Canada Water Agency in Sault Ste. Marie, as well as identify priorities and values for ensuring a water secure Algoma District

Projects enhance Okanagan Valley water protection

Projects enhance Okanagan Valley water protection

The Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB) marked the 15th year of its water conservation and quality improvement (WCQI) grants this week with the awarding of funds to projects throughout the valley that will enhance water security. Since the program began in 2006, and with this week’s award of 16 grants worth $350,000, the board has now provided 300 grants to Okanagan non-profits, First Nations, local governments and irrigation districts adding up to an overall value of $5.1 million.

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