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.
The Friends of Chippewa Park are hopeful for a surge in visitors to the south-side attraction now that water testing has shown bacteria levels at the Thunder Bay, Ont., park's beaches have dropped. A memo presented to city council Monday night says the two beaches at Chippewa — the main beach and Sandy Beach — as well one at Boulevard Lake have seen major improvements to water quality in recent years.
Go into any store these days and there's a mixture of people wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and those who are opting not to wear one. It may have people feeling like they're in COVID-19 limbo. Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, the Region of Waterloo's medical officer of health, says currently there's "no cut and dry threshold" when it comes to mask wearing and "it will vary according to individual comfort levels."
Owners of resorts and cottages along the Winnipeg River in Whiteshell Provincial Park can breathe a sigh of relief, as the Manitoba portion of the waterway is receding following a record flood. The Winnipeg River has crested from the Ontario border to Seven Sisters Falls, according to the Lake of the Woods Control Board. The river's peak flow at Seven Sisters Falls was approximately 125,000 cubic feet per second. That's roughly three and a half times the usual volume for this time of year.
As Canadians living in most cities around the country enter summer with nary a thought about using clean, potable water to wash their cars, fill their pools, clean their decks and water their lawns, the Public Service Alliance of Canada is turning up the pressure on Ottawa to make good on its long-standing promise to ensure access to safe, clean water for all.
The Quebec government is moving toward increasing the amount it charges commercial water users, in what amounts to an early campaign promise months before the next election. Environment Minister Benoit Charette is expected to table a proposed law this week that would raise the royalties charged to commercial water users. There are few details about the coming legislation, which was first reported Monday by La Presse and later confirmed by Radio-Canada.
Ontario is one of the few provinces in Canada where millions of residents rent rather then own their water heaters. While renting may come with peace of mind if you have a break down or require servicing, over time, the rental costs can add up and they are generally a reliable appliance that typically lasts 15 years or longer without many issues. “The thing about a rental is they just keep going and going and going.” said Gary Burger of New Lowell, west of Barrie, Ont.
The latest wastewater study from the University of Saskatchewan shows COVID-19 viral loads are lingering at lower levels in Saskatchewan's larger communities. The Global Institute for Water Security has been regularly testing wastewater samples in Saskatoon, Prince Albert and North Battleford. Omicron BA.2 remains the dominant subvariant in all three cities.
Nevada Sunrise Gold Corp. ("Nevada Sunrise", or the "Company") (TSXV: NEV) (OTC: NVSGF) is pleased to announce that highly-significant values of lithium have been detected in water samples collected from boreholes GEM22-01 and GEM22-02, drilled in the inaugural 2022 drilling program at its 100%-owned Gemini Lithium Project ("Gemini") located in the Lida Valley basin in Esmeralda County, Nevada. The water samples from both boreholes contain dissolved lithium in a calcium/magnesium carbonate-type brine that was not easily recognized on site during the drilling program due to the presence of high levels of suspended solids.
A flood warning was issued for the community of Ross River as the water level in the Pelly River rose 20 centimetres in the last two days. In a news release Monday afternoon, the Yukon's Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) said the water level is still rising although the rate at which it is rising has started to slow. "Low lying areas adjacent to the river are currently flooding," the release states.
Across Canada, 29 Indigenous communities remain under a boil water advisory. Before residents in those communities can brush their teeth, drink a glass of water, cook food, or have a shower, they have to put water in a pot, bring it to a rolling boil, and let it cool — just so they don’t get sick performing many of these everyday activities. Under a commitment by the federal government to permanently eliminate all boil water advisories, 132 have been lifted in the last seven years. But until every Canadian has access to clean, potable drinking water, there is still much work to do, said Steph Romaniuk, faculty in the School of Environmental Studies at Canadore College in North Bay.
The P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture is now receiving applications for a federal program granting money to farmers for projects that will cut carbon emissions. The federation will be distributing $6 million in federal funding to Island farmers as part of a $182-million national program announced earlier this year. The projects can range from anything from winter cover cropping, to nitrogen management and advanced grazing management.
There is mixed reaction in the farming community to a new Prince Edward Island irrigation strategy. Last week, the province ended its 20-year moratorium on high-capacity wells for agriculture. The high-capacity wells can draw as much as 500 gallons of water per minute, and concern was raised about the effect they have on the Island's groundwater levels. Starting June 11, farmers can apply to the provincial government for a licence to drill a high-capacity well to water their crops.
Researchers with the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo have recently translocated more than a thousand tadpoles to wetland areas in southeastern B.C. Working with the B.C. Northern Leopard Frog Recovery Team, they're hoping the project will help the endangered frog's population in the province bounce back after years of declines. Researchers say there's only one known surviving native population of northern leopard frogs in B.C. That population is located in the Creston Valley, and work this year includes translocating tadpoles to wetlands near Kimberley.
The Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board has denied an appeal from a Bridgetown church that received a hefty water bill from the Municipality of the County of Annapolis following a burst pipe that went undetected. St. James Anglican Church received a water bill of $5,485 this spring after a pipe burst while the church was shut down in the winter due to COVID-19.
The Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine has issued an evacuation order for three small communities near Terrace as the Skeena River continues to rise after a weekend of heavy rain and snowmelt. Residents of Old Remo, New Remo, and Usk were told to leave their homes by 8 p.m. PT Sunday. The district issued an evacuation alert on Thursday. The communities, built on low-lying flood plains, have faced flood crises over the past two decades. Old Remo was flooded in 2002, 2007 and 2017, seeing roads washed out and dozens of homes evacuated.
The Mi'kmaki Water Walk is underway around the Bay of Fundy. The 40-day, 994-kilometre ceremonial walk began May 24. It's in honour of water as a sacred life force. Walkers started in Overton, N.S., near Yarmouth, and it will end in Blacks Harbour, N.B. Ducie Howe is a Mi'kmaw grandmother from the Sipekne'katik First Nation and she's leading the walk. CBC's Information Morning Halifax spoke with her on Thursday when she was in Brooklyn, N.S. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Despite an early start to summer weather, the City of Toronto revealed it has some 245 water fountains that aren't turned on, something an urban planning advocate says spells a bigger problem for those who rely on public amenities. Mayor John Tory revealed Tuesday only 60 per cent of the city's 700 public water fountains were up and running during recent record-breaking heat spells.
When the Boundary Waters Treaty governing waters straddling the U.S.-Canada border was drawn up more than a century ago, concerns such as climate change and replacing the infrastructure were totally unknown. Now, a Schulich School of Engineering professor and researcher is heading up an independent cross-border study into updating the oldest piece of legislation governing the use of water that runs between the two countries. Dr. Alain Pietroniro, PhD, is an internationally respected expert in hydrology and sustainable water systems, having spent more than three decades studying water resources engineering. Through his involvement with the International Joint Commission, Pietroniro is co-chairing a study of the treaty, to examine the options of improving access to study the shared waters of the St. Mary and Milk Rivers, which cross the Alberta-Montana border.
Starting June 11, farmers on P.E.I. will be able to apply to the provincial government for a licence to drill a high-capacity well to water their crops. A moratorium on high-capacity wells for agriculture has been in place since 2002. Other industries — such as golf courses and food processors — have been free to apply and drill wells. "There's a model of fairness built into this that farmers can finally apply for water, because they were the only ones who couldn't," said Environment Minister Steven Myers
