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

wetland restoration project

Holland Marsh wetland restoration project completed in Bradford

Holland Marsh wetland restoration project completed in Bradford

It’s been two years in the making, but it’s finally complete. Ducks Unlimited Canada has recently completed a two-year restoration project at a significant wetland in the Holland Marsh. “The big push for this restoration project was for improved fish habitat,” said Jennifer Lavigne, a conservation specialist with Ducks Unlimited Canada. There isn’t a lot remaining of the historic 9,000-hectare wetlands that was once a part of the landscape as it has been converted into working fields. In Bradford West Gwillimbury, a 218-hectare wetland is still protecting wildlife and clean water, according to Ducks Unlimited Canada.

Healthy rivers: How DNA tool can help keep tabs on freshwater quality

Healthy rivers: How DNA tool can help keep tabs on freshwater quality

In Canada, these watersheds are vast and often inaccessible, making it difficult to monitor the health of these ecosystems. But with the help of a new tool, scientists and community members are collecting data to better understand the state of Canada’s rivers.

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