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.
Years after voicing its opposition to an Ontario nuclear technology company disposing of nuclear waste near the Ottawa River, a group of Montreal-area mayors is still not on board with the project. Now, it's expressed its concerns during a public hearing. In 2018, dozens of mayors with the Montreal Metropolitan Community (CMM) unanimously adopted a motion to oppose the development of a permanent nuclear waste disposal site in Chalk River, Ont., about 180 kilometres northeast of Ottawa.
Government figures have shown that water-related events – including flooding – have surpassed forest fires as the top cause of property damage in Canada in the past several years, costing homeowners more than $1 billion in losses annually. Despite the threat, a recent study has revealed that an overwhelming majority of Canadians living in high-risk regions are not only unprepared to deal with the impact of floods, but they are also unaware of the potential danger.
Investments in key infrastructure build strong and healthy communities across Canada. From roads and buildings – to water and wastewater systems – reliable infrastructure provides communities with opportunities to grow and develop today so that they are better prepared to overcome the challenges of tomorrow.
For the fourth year, Plains Midstream Canada has supported the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority’s (SCRCA) Spring Water Awareness Program (SWAP) with a $5,000 donation. Held throughout the month of April, the program teaches students about the hazards of spring floodwaters. “Through our annual Spring Water Awareness Program, we talk with students about the potentially dangerous conditions associated with streams and rivers during the spring, and provide them with safety guidelines,” stated Melissa Levi, Conservation Education Coordinator at the SCRCA, in a media release.
Federal, provincial and municipal governments have come together in eastern P.E.I. for a major expansion of the water and sewer system. The $4.7-million project will extend the system about 2.5 kilometres from the old border of Montague into the old community of Brudenell up to MacDonald Road. The amalgamation of a group of communities to create Three Rivers in 2018 was key to getting the project off the ground, said Mayor Ed MacAulay.
Town officials in Fort Frances are continuing to work to address flooding in the northwestern Ontario community. As of Monday, Fort Frances has closed sections of Front Street, as well as walking and bike paths along the street. Also closed are the Front Street playground and fitness equipment, the Sorting Gap Marina gas docks and boat launch, Lookout Tower, the Hallett, Crowe Avenue Dock, Point Park and Seven Oaks.
Officials say they're still monitoring water levels along the Gatineau River but don't believe it will flood in the immediate Gatineau, Que., area in the short term. Many of the city's residents were bracing for water levels to surpass the area's flooding threshold, but on Friday officials downgraded the emergency alert level, saying they were now simply monitoring the situation.
The provincial government has issued an alert for blue-green algae, the first of the season for Nova Scotia. Environment and Climate Change reported in a news release Saturday that a blue-green algae bloom was reported in a stream between Shubenacadie-Grand Lake and Fish Lake. The algae produces toxins that can cause illness in humans and be fatal to pets, according to Elizabeth Kennedy, director of the water branch.
Officials say a diesel spill on a property near Lake Manitoba just over two weeks ago has been contained and there is little risk of the fuel contaminating Sandy Bay First Nation's water source, but a community official says he has concerns about the spill. "We drink from these and we eat from these bodies of water," Randal Roulette, band councillor for Sandy Bay, said on Thursday.
Beach season is upon us — and the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is once again checking the waters to make sure they are safe for recreation. After taking water samples this week for the first time this year at nine beaches across the region, public health inspectors are giving the go-ahead for swimmers and waders to enter the water at all of them: Sand Point Beach, Belle River Beach, Seacliff Park, Colchester Beach, Holiday Beach, Cedar Beach, Cedar Island Beach, Mettawas Beach, and North West Beach at Point Pelee.
Another major concern is water. Hazaa Alnuaimi said he spent time in a refugee camp before coming to Canada, and the lack of usable water reminded him of those conditions. His family of six lives on the 10th floor but stood outside their building cooking over a public barbeque Thursday. "I need water. Nobody supplies us with that." Alnuaimi may have to relocate if his power and water aren't reconnected soon, he said. Many have reached a breaking point.
When many people think of a flood, they imagine a rush of water that comes up fast, wreaks havoc, and then subsides quickly to reveal the damage done. But in the water world that residents along Minnesota’s border lakes with Ontario are living this spring, the floodwaters came up weeks ago and just keep getting higher, expected to surpass record levels in coming days. It may be into July before water levels drop back close to normal as the Rainy River watershed continues to spill out of its boundaries, with flooding occurring from just north of Lake Vermilion to Lake of the Woods and beyond.
From roads and buildings, to water and wastewater systems – reliable infrastructure is key to building stronger communities. Investments in safer and more efficient wastewater treatment helps keep our communities healthy, green and sustainable. Today, Wayne Long, Member of Parliament for Saint John—Rothesay, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, and Alexander (Sandy) Ross, Chief Executive Officer of the Saint John Airport Authority, announced funding for important upgrades to the Saint John Airport Wastewater Treatment Facility.
Residents in the hamlet of Redland are looking to connect to the Wheatland Regional Corporation (WRC) waterline which runs through the hamlet, and have asked Wheatland County council to support construction. The request was brought forward to Wheatland County council by Division 6 Councillor Glenn Koester during the regular Tuesday, May 3 council meeting.
The Winnipeg River is flowing at a record volume in Manitoba because officials no longer have any other option to control flooding across a vast swath of northwestern Ontario and northern Minnesota. Flooding on the Winnipeg River, which is running at about 3.5 times its usual volume at this time of year, has already forced hundreds of people from their homes and washed out roads in Whiteshell Provincial Park. This is the result of inflows that are only expected to increase in the coming days, raising water levels up to two-thirds of a metre higher in some locations in Manitoba.
B.C. farmers whose farms were damaged by floods in November 2021 can now apply to the Canada-BC Flood Recovery for Food Security Program until Aug. 31, 2022. The program helps farmers return to production by reimbursing them for uninsured expenses they incurred on activities such as: cleanup, repair and restoration of land, barns and animal shelters, and water and waste systems; returning flood-affected land and buildings to a safe state for agricultural production; repairing uninsurable essential farm infrastructure; repairing structures such as livestock-containment fences; renting temporary production facilities; installing drainage ditches and land-stabilization materials; animal welfare activities such as replacing feed, transporting livestock, veterinary care and mortality disposal; and replacing perennial plants not grown for sale.
After visiting Hay River, N.W.T., Premier Caroline Cochrane said she felt "heartbroken" witnessing the destruction caused by the flooding. The community of nearly 4,000 was evacuated in mid-May as flood waters rose, causing widespread damage. Residents have been returning over the past week to discover the condition of their homes. "Some of the homes and properties are fine. Other properties, minimal damage. But some properties were devastated. They're totally gone. And the water lines up to above their windows," said Cochrane.
The ongoing study of wastewater in an effort to track the prevalence of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan's larger communities has recorded among some of the lowest levels of viral load since January, according to the researchers behind it. The Global Institute for Water Security has been regularly testing wastewater samples in Saskatoon, Prince Albert and North Battleford. The viral loads in each city are based on an average of three measurements over the week and measure the number of particles, in the tens of thousands, in 100 mL of sewage. The result provides insight into how much virus that causes COVID-19 is in a community — often a cautionary report before a more tangible rise in case numbers and hospitalizations.
The agency that mediates disputes between Canada and the United States over shared waters is pleading with the federal Liberals to join an investigation into contamination from British Columbia coal mines before the Americans move on their own. In a May 13 letter, the International Joint Commission asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to commit Canada to collaborating with the U.S. on studying and finding a solution to selenium from Teck Resource’s Elk Valley mines that ends up in rivers and lakes south of the border.
A newly published scientific study confirms the deep ecological impact of the Mount Polley mine disaster in B.C.'s Cariboo region nearly eight years ago. The study, published last week in the academic journal Environmental Science and Pollution Research, shows small invertebrates taken from lake water affected by the tailings spill disaster had a higher concentration of copper and other metals than those taken from unaffected lake water.
