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

Feds fund three water projects in Newfoundland

Feds fund three water projects in Newfoundland

The federal government has announced $27 million in funding for three projects to improve public services and protect waters in St. John’s, Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove and surrounding communities in Newfoundland and Labrador. In St. John’s, new wastewater infrastructure will improve municipal services in the Goulds area and help protect Shoal Bay and the harbour. In addition, there will be ditching and erosion control measures taken along the Motion Bay Road extension in Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove. The federal government is spending $9.8 million, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is contributing $7.4 million and the municipalities are providing a total of $9.8 million, stated a release.

Canadians are not nearly as divided about environmental issues as we may think: Study

Canadians are not nearly as divided about environmental issues as we may think: Study

Canadians are not nearly as divided about many important environmental issues as we may think – and that lack of division could offer common ground in drafting national environmental policies, according to a new study. Researchers in the department of physical and environmental sciences at the University of Toronto Scarborough used Statistics Canada data to explore Canadians’ behaviours and attitudes towards the environment.

Be a water hero this summer and protect our changing valley

Be a water hero this summer and protect our changing valley

In the Okanagan, water conservation is a year-round effort. But with warmer summer temperatures now upon us, it’s time to start prioritizing our outdoor water smarts. Everyone has a part to play in conserving water and protecting our changing valley for future generations. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to step up and become a water hero this summer: Schedule a free irrigation assessment to ensure your system is working efficiently, collect rainwater in barrels and use it for irrigation, water between midnight and 6 a.m., treat your yard well: let your grass grow long, sharpen your mower blade and over-seed your lawn. Learn more about proper lawn maintenance at Kelowna.ca/watersmart

Canadian charities hit by double whammy of rising costs, more demand

Canadian charities hit by double whammy of rising costs, more demand

For more than three decades, Vancouver-based Acts for Water has provided clean drinking water in Uganda. The organization was set to build its 25th water system in September, but that project is now suspended as costs swell and donations are uncertain. "Today I got a call, literally just before this one, where our second largest donor has paused their giving. They didn't give a reason, but we're starting to see the chill here with monthly donors starting to pause as well," Jeff Golby, the organization's chief executive, said during a video call interview. In Uganda, the cost of iron pipes is up 25 per cent, diesel is up 70 per cent, and cement is up 37 per cent, Golby said, among other increases. "What the future holds really is determined by how aggressive the inflation rises and what happens with our recession," he said. "How the fall goes will determine how many people we provide clean water to."

N.L. may already have a buyer for hydrogen produced by proposed wind farm project

N.L. may already have a buyer for hydrogen produced by proposed wind farm project

A wind farm project on Newfoundland's west coast slated to produce green hydrogen energy in a plant in Stephenville already has interest from an overseas buyer. The project, proposed to be constructed on the Port au Port Peninsula, has yet to pass its environmental assessment but a decision from the provincial government is expected by Aug. 5. On Friday, federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson and the provincial Energy Minister Andrew Parsons attended an energy and mines conference in St. John's.

Vancouver Craft Beer Week leaves some suds lovers hopping mad

Vancouver Craft Beer Week leaves some suds lovers hopping mad

The ads promised a day of great beer, delicious food and good vibes, but some people attending this year's Vancouver Craft Beer Week on the PNE grounds found the event chaotic, poorly organized and a cash-grab. Desaree da Cruz said the cascading frustrations for her and two friends started with a long wait Saturday to get through the one and only entrance gate. Once inside, da Cruz said the event was extremely short-staffed, overcrowded and unsafe, with people jammed together in more lineups waiting to purchase beer samples and food. Additionally, the organizers' mandatory wristband payment system was malfunctioning. 

Non-travel methods investigated as mystery Cyclospora outbreak spreads to Canada

Non-travel methods investigated as mystery Cyclospora outbreak spreads to Canada

Public Health Canada is working on non-travel-related Cyclospora infections occurring in the country. The agency is investigating non-travel cases with public health and food safety partners. As of June 30, reports included a total of 84 cases of Cyclospora infections in the following provinces: British Columbia (1), Ontario (75), and Quebec (8).  Four individuals were hospitalized, with no deaths reported. There is no recall or Public Health Notice while the investigation is ongoing.

A swimmer was infected with a brain-eating amoeba after visiting an Iowa beach

A swimmer was infected with a brain-eating amoeba after visiting an Iowa beach

A beach in Iowa is closed after a rare life-threatening infection of the brain was confirmed in a visitor who recently went swimming there. The beach at Lake of Three Fires State Park in Taylor County will be closed temporarily to swimmers, the Iowa Department of Public Health said Friday. "The closure is a precautionary response to a confirmed infection of Naegleria fowleri in a Missouri resident with recent potential exposure while swimming at the beach," according to a release from the health department.

B.C. winery becomes first in Canada to join climate action organization

B.C. winery becomes first in Canada to join climate action organization

Christine Colletta, one of the founders of Okanagan Crush Pad, says the winery has been working toward sustainable farming since it opened 11 years ago. She said it moved away from heavier bottles to alternative packaging, which uses less energy, and overall it has tried to reduce water usage.  "What we're looking at is all aspects of our business and how we can be smart and lean and cut down the waste," she said.

E. coli a growing concern for some Vancouver residents

E. coli a growing concern for some Vancouver residents

Rodrigo Silva de Paula calls himself a "water man": he spends about 330 days a year in the ocean teaching paddle boarding. But high E. coli levels in some of Vancouver's beaches are testing his patience. "It is frustrating because it is not the first time it has happened," said the 44-year-old who lives in Vancouver. Silva de Paula is one of many residents calling on the city to do more to keep beaches safe from the bacteria.

US cruise ships using Canada as a ‘toilet bowl’ for polluted waste

From the comfort of cruise ships, a typical trip to Alaska offers magnificent views of glaciers and untamed national parks, and visits to quaint seaside towns. For years, these draws have made cruises to Alaska the most booked US holiday. But the journey to those pristine areas, which involves sailing along Canada’s west coast for two or three days, is leaving behind a trail of toxic waste, including within marine protected areas (MPAs), according to new research.

Fall River residents worried about sewage from new seniors housing development

Fall River residents worried about sewage from new seniors housing development

Residents of a small community in the Halifax area are upset that they weren't consulted about a new seniors housing complex pumping treated sewage into the lake from which they draw their drinking water. The proposed "age-in-place campus," which includes four apartment buildings and a long-term care facility, is expected to be built at 1109 Fall River Rd., with wastewater from the planned on-site treatment facility being piped underground to the middle of Lake Thomas.

From trash to treasure, recyclables are being sold for top dollar. That's good news for collection

From trash to treasure, recyclables are being sold for top dollar. That's good news for collection

In a win for agencies that run curbside recycling programs, materials like plastic, cardboard and aluminum have gone from trash to treasure on the markets. The shift has led to a big windfall for the Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority (EWSWA) in southwestern Ontario. "We're seeing increased pricing across the board, so both in fibre and in metal as well as plastics," said Michelle Bishop, general manager of the EWSWA.

How do you wash your hands without safe drinking water?

How do you wash your hands without safe drinking water?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, phrases like, “Wash your hands,” and, “Make sure you isolate” became mainstream. But how do you wash your hands if you don’t have clean running water? How do you isolate when living spaces are overcrowded? With both of these tasks becoming impossible during COVID, Faculty of Arts student Jessica Lardeur, under the guidance of Dr. Cora Voyageur, PhD, professor in the Department of Sociology, decided to focus her honour’s thesis on the impact that COVID-19 has had on Indigenous communities and how they have adapted to the situation under ominous conditions. “COVID-19 impacted everyone around the world, but it severely impacted Indigenous communities,” says Lardeur.

Could a fatal glacial collapse happen in Alberta? It almost has.

Could a fatal glacial collapse happen in Alberta? It almost has.

Days after a glacier collapse in the Italian Alps, search and rescue teams are still finding victims. On Wednesday, Reuters reported the death count had risen to nine after the bodies of two more people were found. Three are still missing, with several more injured in the disaster. Italy's prime minister linked the tragedy to environmental factors as parts of the country experienced record-breaking temperatures during a summer heat wave.

As flood waters recede, northwestern Ontario communities turn attention to cleanup, mitigation

As flood waters recede, northwestern Ontario communities turn attention to cleanup, mitigation

As flood waters in the area recede, the northwestern Ontario municipality of Sioux Lookout is now shifting its focus to cleaning up, and preparing for the future. "Some people have dumpsters parked in front of their homes, and they're ripping out insulation and drywall for the two or three feet that were soaked in water," explained Sioux Lookout Mayor Doug Lawrance. "Along the shore, there's all manner of debris," he said. "From tires that might have been incorporated into the lakeside retaining walls to wood that comes from docks to flagpoles, Styrofoam, life jackets."

Liberals allowing private corporations to make money off Canadians' critical water infrastructure

Liberals allowing private corporations to make money off Canadians' critical water infrastructure

NDP Infrastructure and Communities Critic Bonita Zarrillo made the following statement: “Last week, Press Progress exposed how the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) plans to privatize water infrastructure across the country. In leaked notes from a CIB board meeting in April 2021, CEO Ehren Cory eagerly proposed letting 'private sector financing' overhaul the provision of water 'assets' – because water has a stable base of 'customers who pay.'

Unsettled B.C. weather prompts flash floods, complicates river level forecasts

Unsettled B.C. weather prompts flash floods, complicates river level forecasts

Prince George is the latest city to feel the lash of torrential downpours linked to ongoing unsettled weather across British Columbia. Environment Canada is reporting about six millimetres of rain fell at the Prince George airport Tuesday, but doesn't mention the localized, intense thunderstorm that deluged the city's downtown core, flooding several streets. RCMP said its frontline officers had to help after "several vehicles" got stranded in the water in the industrial area off Queensway and on Winnipeg Street. Four separate roads were closed as crews worked to clear the excess water.

Sepro wins prize for technology designed to limit water use

Sepro wins prize for technology designed to limit water use

Foresight Canada and the Mining Association of British Columbia (MABC) have revealed the winner of the Mining Innovation Challenge: Reducing Water Use, following the competition's launch late last year. The challenge sought solutions to reduce water use intensity at operating B.C. mines, with the winner receiving a $150,000 prize and a potential opportunity to pilot the technology if there is an appropriate fit with a mine.

New podcast on Africville focuses on fight to reclaim land

New podcast on Africville focuses on fight to reclaim land

Africville was known as a thriving community, with a school, a church and local stores, though homes in the area lacked sewage systems and access to clean water. It was in the late 1940s when it was designated "industrial land," leading to the development of an infectious disease hospital and a prison in the community. The city dump was also relocated near Africville in the 1950s.

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