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

Live along the Thames watershed? Conservation group says limit water use

Live along the Thames watershed? Conservation group says limit water use

Residents in areas that draw their water supply from the Thames River watershed are still being urged to conserve water where possible. The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) continues to warn of low water levels after initially making the declaration on July 18, 2022. It says it's not a crisis but that the time to conserve is now. "For Level 1 and Level 2, it's about awareness, making people aware that we have lower water levels, and encouraging some conservation practices," said Eleanor Heagy, Communications and Marketing Coordinator.

Downtown watermain repair part of ongoing construction work, city says

Downtown watermain repair part of ongoing construction work, city says

The series of black pipes currently jutting out onto Elm Street, coupled with the groups of construction workers toiling away this summer, means some big infrastructure projects are in the works for downtown Sudbury, one of more than 20 the city hopes to wrap up by winter. Brittany Hallam, the city's director of linear infrastructure services, said improvements to the city's water mains is the cause of the congestion, and the snake-like trail of pipe running along the sidewalks.

Jackson, Mississippi has 'no water to drink or flush toilets'

Jackson, Mississippi has 'no water to drink or flush toilets'

Some 180,000 residents in Jackson, Mississippi have "indefinitely" lost access to reliable running water after excessive rainfall and flooding. Rising floodwaters over the weekend breached the city's main water treatment facility, bringing it to the brink of collapse. A state of emergency has been declared, and schools, restaurants and businesses have temporarily closed. The city had already been under a boil-water notice for a month. Problems at the OB Curtis Water Plant began after heavy rains caused the Pearl River to crest and spill over onto city streets over the weekend. City hall confirmed on Monday that river water had entered the facility, which treats more than 50 million US gallons (190 million litres) per day.

Blue-green algae takes over many Alberta lakes as hot weather returns this week: ‘It smells like sewage’

Blue-green algae takes over many Alberta lakes as hot weather returns this week: ‘It smells like sewage’

With another hot week in store for much of Alberta, many people are getting out to try to soak up and enjoy the remaining days of summer. With that, many will flock to nearby lakes to spend time at the beach. But several of Alberta’s lakes have been taken over by blue-green algae this summer, including Garner Lake where Harold Kinasewich calls home. Kinasewich has had a family property on Sunrise Beach since the 1950s. Now semi-retired, he lives at the lake and it’s a place where he spends a lot of quality time with his kids and grandkids.

Many Six Nations of the Grand River residents live without direct access to clean water

Many Six Nations of the Grand River residents live without direct access to clean water

Just two hours outside Toronto, more than 2,000 households on Six Nations of the Grand River live without a basic human right: clean water. Some residents can’t simply fill up a glass at their taps and drink, take a shower, or bathe their children without worrying about the water being contaminated. “We’re doing our best to progress our community as best as we can. But there comes challenges,” said Chief Mark Hill. “One of those challenges is the access to clean drinking water, potable water.”

Nunavut ends state of emergency over water shortage in Iqaluit

Nunavut ends state of emergency over water shortage in Iqaluit

The Nunavut government says it has ended a state of emergency in Iqaluit intended to address a water shortage in the city. The territory declared the emergency earlier this month to ensure its capital could get necessary regulatory approvals to begin replenishing its reservoir.

Dispute in B.C. reveals cracks in Canada's shipbreaking regulations

Dispute in B.C. reveals cracks in Canada's shipbreaking regulations

When Mary Reynolds started flying her camera-equipped drone over a small stretch of Vancouver Island shoreline she landed in the middle of a fight between local activists and a company that dismantles old watercraft. The 71-year-old's videos, posted on her blog, showed how Deep Water Recovery was taking apart old barges and other vessels at its site in Union Bay, B.C. — a violation, say activists, of regional and provincial zoning regulations, that endangers an environmentally sensitive area rich with oysters.

Shoreline cleanup planned at English Bay as part of annual event

Shoreline cleanup planned at English Bay as part of annual event

Communities across Canada will head to the water on Sept. 17 for International Coastal Cleanup Day to recover litter from shorelines, parks, and other natural places in their communities. In B.C. the cleanup is planned at English Bay in Vancouver. There are also cleanups planned at Black Rock Beach in Halifax and Woodbine Beach in Halifax. This is also the first year a cleanup will be hosted in the U.S., with details to come. Since 1994, Ocean Wise has organized nearly 1 million volunteers participate in Shoreline Cleanups, collecting more than 2.1 million kg of trash across Canada’s shorelines.

Wetland at Okanagan Falls sewer plant now fully up and running

Wetland at Okanagan Falls sewer plant now fully up and running

The wetland project next to the Okanagan Falls wastewater treatment plant to polish treated effluent is now fully operational. The new wetland is operated by the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen and comprises 1.9 hectares of floodplain land adjacent to the Okanagan River. According to the RDOS, while wastewater treatment plant discharges clean effluent, during the summer months, the wetland allows for an additional one-third reduction of nitrogen and phosphorus loading to the Okanagan River.

UN monitors thrust into debate over what to do with 1.4 trillion litres of oilsands wastewater

UN monitors thrust into debate over what to do with 1.4 trillion litres of oilsands wastewater

When the Mikisew Cree First Nation grew tired of warning elected officials that the Peace-Athabasca Delta in northern Alberta was slowly drying up, they went international in a bid to find help. That’s how a group of United Nations monitors came to be seated in a community hall in the remote community of Fort Chipewyan last weekend, going over the nation’s list of concerns for Wood Buffalo National Park, the site of one of the largest freshwater deltas in the world and and home to endangered whooping cranes and the continent’s largest wild bison population.

Drought, high costs bring U.S. berry giants to Canada's maple syrup land

Drought, high costs bring U.S. berry giants to Canada's maple syrup land

A swath of Canada better known for maple syrup is being tested to mass produce berries normally grown in warmer locales, making it the unexpected beneficiary of extreme weather, local demand and rising costs in traditional growing areas like California. Driscoll's and grower-owned Naturipe Farms LLC, two of North America's largest fruit sellers, are both testing commercial production of berries in Ontario and Quebec, executives said.

Trying to tame the tide exacerbates climate crisis

Trying to tame the tide exacerbates climate crisis

In 1908, locals in Cape Cod, Mass., built an earthen dike across the Herring River to curtail its flow into the surrounding wetlands. Their goal was to clamp down on the number of mosquitoes. The dike destroyed the original salt marsh, replacing it with woodland, shrub, and impounded wetlands. But the community’s efforts over a century ago did far more than dry out the landscape. According to a new study, impounded wetlands can undergo an important change, shifting from carbon sinks into methane sources. The transformation turns these landscapes from ones that help mitigate climate change into ones that exacerbate it.

Shell Canada signs deal with Kitselas Geothermal in northwest B.C.

Shell Canada signs deal with Kitselas Geothermal in northwest B.C.

In a typical geothermal project, water pumped up for conversion into a heat or energy source is then pumped back down for re-heating. Company president Alison Thompson said the joint development agreement with Shell will “de-risk” the project to determine the potential for more investment. “The drilling to be done … with Shell’s funding assistance is to intersect the M’Deek Reservoir with production sized wells. If the well tests look good, the wells could be used to produce geothermal energy,” she said. “The wells drilled previously were not intended to be used for production.”

Advocates worry southeast Calgary development could devastate natural wetlands and habitats

Advocates worry southeast Calgary development could devastate natural wetlands and habitats

Environmental advocates say a proposed suburban development in southeast Calgary would be built on a environmentally sensitive area. There are concerns construction could mean the destruction of thriving natural wetlands and a riparian area along the Bow River. Ricardo Ranch is a 570-hectare area south of Seton. Its area structure plan was approved by city council in 2019. In July, the city gave the green light for three communities in Ricardo Ranch: Seton Ridge, Logan Landing and Nostalgia.

COVID-19 viral loads in major Sask. cities' wastewater at highest levels in months

COVID-19 viral loads in major Sask. cities' wastewater at highest levels in months

The COVID-19 viral loads in some of Saskatchewan's major cities are the highest they've been in months, according to the latest weekly report from University of Saskatchewan researchers. Researchers with the university's Global Water Futures program have been analyzing wastewater samples from Saskatoon, North Battleford and Prince Albert for COVID-19 since summer 2020. The study's results can help predict a rise or fall of COVID-19 diagnoses about a week in advance. In an email on Sunday, the team's lead researcher John Giesy said the viral load has "increased significantly" in all three cities, continuing a 10-week trend of upticks.

Floods, droughts, storms will cost Canadian economy $139B in next 30 years, report says

Floods, droughts, storms will cost Canadian economy $139B in next 30 years, report says

Floods, droughts and major storms that wash out highways, damage buildings and affect power grids could cost Canada's economy $139 billion over the next 30 years, a new climate-based analysis predicts. The report, titled Aquanomics, was published Monday by GHD, a global engineering and architecture services firm. In an interview with CBC News, the firm's Canadian water lead Don Holland said that the value of water and the costs associated with it are underacknowledged.

Whitehorse residents asked to cut water usage during sewer line repair

Whitehorse residents asked to cut water usage during sewer line repair

The City of Whitehorse is asking residents to minimize water usage for the next couple of days as the city repairs a leak in the sewage line. Starting tonight at midnight, the Marwell Lift Station will be taken offline so crews can diagnose and repair the leaking pipe. Oshea Jephson, the city's communications manager, said in the meantime, bypass valves will discharge wastewater into the Yukon River.

Volunteer divers clear trash from Kingston, Ont., water

Volunteer divers clear trash from Kingston, Ont., water

On a beautiful and sunny Sunday in Kingston, Ont., with many people enjoying the sun, a group of local divers strapped on their gear and hit the water in the name of sustainability. At Gord Downie Pier the divers convened toting along their gear in preparation for a trash dive for Sustainable Kingston’s “Underwater Pitch-IN” event. It was the first such event organized by Sustainable Kingston, but the second dive at this location this summer.

Imperial Oil reporting spill in Norman Wells occurred under Mackenzie River

Imperial Oil reporting spill in Norman Wells occurred under Mackenzie River

Nearly a month after the incident was first reported, Imperial Oil has confirmed that the produced water line that spilled in Norman Wells, N.W.T. is underneath the Mackenzie River. Cabin Radio first reported the leak's location. Imperial Oil said the cause of the leak is still being determined and that results from water sampling indicate there is no risk to public health or freshwater aquatic life downstream. In early August, residents in Fort Good Hope reported a fuel-like sheen and other surface contaminants spotted on the surface of the Mackenzie River.

Claire Nielsen: Water is the core of a healthy lifestyle

Claire Nielsen: Water is the core of a healthy lifestyle

I know the topic of how much water to drink is always controversial, and I don’t claim to be an expert on the matter at all. This is just my passionate opinion. I love and appreciate water. My go-to comment whenever one of my household members complains of not feeling well, or is abnormally tired is “When did you last drink water?” And the answer is usually “I don’t know” or “Does coffee count?” Then I roll my eyes and launch into my lecture on the importance of hydration.

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