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

Current and former federal ministers lash out against Premier Moe

Current and former federal ministers lash out against Premier Moe

After weeks of back and forth between the federal government and the Sask. Party on accusations of federal workers going onto private farmland without permission to take water samples, Canada’s current and former environment ministers are firing back at Premier Scott Moe. Former Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Canada, Catherine McKenna, took to Twitter to say Moe chooses to make up false narratives to then “slam and discredit” the federal government while eroding democracy in the process by spreading conspiracies.

Jackson water crisis: A legacy of environmental racism?

Jackson water crisis: A legacy of environmental racism?

Marshall lives in west Jackson, in the US state of Mississippi - a predominantly black and poor part of the city. He has no choice but to drink the tap water that Jackson residents have been told to avoid. When he turns the tap on - the water runs brown. He says it's been like this for about eight months and he has no choice but to drink it. "Yes ma'am. I been drinking it." He smiles when we ask whether it worries him. "I turn 70 later this month," he says.

Water Warriors hit the streets to help vulnerable Edmontonians during long weekend heat

Water Warriors hit the streets to help vulnerable Edmontonians during long weekend heat

Volunteers with a local charity were busy handing out water to vulnerable Edmontonians as the city was placed under a heat warning. On Saturday afternoon, Environment and Climate Change Canada placed the capital region under a heat warning as high daytime temperatures and overnight lows were expected throughout the long weekend. Volunteers with a local charity were busy handing out water to vulnerable Edmontonians as the city was placed under a heat warning.

On Saturday afternoon, Environment and Climate Change Canada placed the capital region under a heat warning as high daytime temperatures and overnight lows were expected throughout the long weekend. Heat warnings are issued by Environment Canada when very high temperatures can pose an elevated risk of heat illnesses, like heat stroke or heat exhaustion.

Amid weekend heat, some beaches not recommended as a way to cool down

Amid weekend heat, some beaches not recommended as a way to cool down

Environment Canada forecasts sunny and warm weather this Labour Day long weekend. While the temperatures may be hot, finding a way to cool off may be a little more difficult. The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) released the findings of the latest E. coli testing at our local beaches. Six beaches are considered unsafe for swimming: Belle River Beach - 992 E. coli count, Cedar Beach - 222 E. coli count, Colchester Beach - 649 E. coli count, Mettawa Beach - 592 E. coli count, Sandpoint Beach - 216 E. coli count, Seacliff Beach - 639 E. coli count.

These are the areas of Canada most prone to flooding

These are the areas of Canada most prone to flooding

As southern Pakistan grapples with deadly flooding along the Indus River, residents of another country with a lengthy history of floods may be wondering if it could happen here. With three coasts, nearly 900,000 lakes and more than 8,500 rivers, significant flooding events are part of Canada’s past and its future. They’re also Canada’s most expensive and most common natural hazards, according to Public Safety Canada, affecting hundreds of thousands of Canadians.

Canada supports community-based action to improve and protect fresh water in British Columbia

Canada supports community-based action to improve and protect fresh water in British Columbia

A clean freshwater supply is essential to the well-being of Canadians, the health and sustainability of the environment, and the economy. Fresh water from lakes, rivers, and groundwater is critical for the survival of all living organisms. Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, alongside a number of environmental organizations at John Hendry Park in Vancouver announced over $1 million in funding to support twelve new projects in British Columbia over the next four years under the EcoAction Community Funding Program.

Foundation working to bring filters for clean water across Ontario reserves

Foundation working to bring filters for clean water across Ontario reserves

Water is an extremely important part of Indigenous culture which makes the fact that 27 Indigenous communities across Canada are living with a boil water advisory while countless others struggle for access to clean water that much more devastating. “Water is very important to Indigenous people,” Beverley Maracle, a resident of Six Nations of the Grand River, told CityNews. “Water is medicine to Indigenous people and we need water for life. So water is life.”

Wastewater entering Yukon River as sewer main repaired in Whitehorse

Wastewater entering Yukon River as sewer main repaired in Whitehorse

Whitehorse residents are being asked to limit their water use while crews work on repairing a damaged sewer main near the Yukon River. The city shut down the Marwell Lift Station and began to discharge wastewater into the river through bypass valves early Tuesday. While working to fix the leak, crews found additional damage.

Russell Wangersky: Water testing? Provinces asked feds to do it

Russell Wangersky: Water testing? Provinces asked feds to do it

It’s about the reaction to a photograph taken of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) inspectors taking water samples near Pense — the workers said they thought they were working on public land next to the highway, while a landowner claimed the work was being done on private land. It should have stopped right there — as a misunderstanding about whether the land was public or private, with efforts to do better in the future. Instead, it became the latest federal/provincial football. Some people have got in touch with me after I wrote about this issue last week to point out that I haven’t lived here long enough to understand the way Saskatchewan residents feel about private land.

Charlottetown gas station reports loss of 4,500 litres

Charlottetown gas station reports loss of 4,500 litres

A Petro-Canada station in Charlottetown has reported a loss of 4,500 litres of gasoline from its underground storage system, the provincial Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action said Wednesday. However, an official at the gas station at the corner of Belvedere and University avenues told CBC News the gas is believed to have leaked into a containment tank, so there shouldn't be environmental damage.

Bidets are making a splash with Canadians worried about waste

Bidets are making a splash with Canadians worried about waste

In the spirit of maintaining a sense of control and purpose in a time of ever-increasing climate anxiety, you might be embracing subtle lifestyle changes to reduce your carbon footprint. Perhaps you've incorporated flexitarian eating, cut down on single-use plastics and are relying less on cars for transportation. Some people, however, are making more of a splash. Bidets — specialized bathroom fixtures that rinse your rear — are making a comeback, and new affordable attachments mean they're more accessible than ever. Beyond the thorough cleaning perks, bidets are often marketed as being more environmentally friendly than using toilet paper, with manufacturing companies claiming bidets can save trees, water and reduce your carbon footprint.

Waterloo leads interdisciplinary team investigating new forever chemicals in Canadian water systems

Waterloo leads interdisciplinary team investigating new forever chemicals in Canadian water systems

University of Waterloo is leading an interdisciplinary team to identify and treat per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – better known as forever chemicals – in water systems affecting more than 2.5 million Canadians. PFAS, are a new class of more than 4,000 environmental contaminants whose impact on human health is unknown. PFAS are used in a wide range of products such as cosmetics, textiles, fire-fighting foams and food packaging materials.

Canadian student wins 2022 Stockholm Junior Water Prize

Canadian student wins 2022 Stockholm Junior Water Prize

A student from Canada has received the prestigious 2022 Stockholm Junior Water Prize for her research on how to treat and prevent harmful algae blooms. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, the official patron of the prize, announced the winner during a ceremony at World Water Week in Stockholm. World Water Week is a conference on global water issues, which started on August 23, 2022 and will go on till September 1.

‘We are sleepwalking towards disaster’ on Lake Erie, environmental group says

‘We are sleepwalking towards disaster’ on Lake Erie, environmental group says

In 2018, faced with a rise in toxic algal blooms that threatened the health of Lake Erie, Ottawa and Queen’s Park released the Canada-Ontario Lake Erie Action Plan, pledging to reduce levels of phosphorus in the lake by 40 per cent within seven years. Since then, says Michelle Woodhouse, water program manager with Environmental Defence, little has happened.

Feds chip in $32.7-million for upgrades at Lou Romano Water Reclamation Plant

Feds chip in $32.7-million for upgrades at Lou Romano Water Reclamation Plant

A project expected to help protect homeowners from flooding will receive over $32.7-million from the federal government. Windsor-Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk, joined by Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion and Windsor’s Mayor, announced the funding on Wednesday morning at the Lou Romano Water Reclamation Plant in West Windsor.

Dead fish in San Francisco area blamed on toxic red tide

Dead fish in San Francisco area blamed on toxic red tide

“We normally have algae blooms during the summertime. But what’s unusual about this one is how large it is and the fact that there are fish kills,” White said. Most algae blooms end after a week or so. But a triple-digit heat wave forecast for the holiday weekend may help the Bay Area's grow even more, White said. She said that reports of dead fish started coming in last week.

Indigenous community, water advocates, moving ahead on drinking water solutions

Indigenous community, water advocates, moving ahead on drinking water solutions

An innovative way to bring clean water to indigenous communities is being installed in homes at a reserve not far from Toronto. The project is an early step in a plan that advocates hope will eventually spread across Canada. “Water is a basic human right no matter how rich or poor we are, where we come from, what the colour of our skin is we all deserve clean drinking water,” said water rights advocate Autumn Peltier.

Water main lining restoration work to begin in Churchill Square area of St. John's in September

Water main lining restoration work to begin in Churchill Square area of St. John's in September

The City of St. John's is scheduling rehabilitation work for water mains on streets in the Churchill Square area in 2022 and 2023. Work will begin in early September and is expected to be finished in November. There is also some work scheduled for spring 2023, expected to be completed in fall 2023. The project will include cleaning and structural lining of the existing water mains. The City of St. John’s awarded Fer-Pal Construction Ltd. the contract to complete the work.

Alberta regulator rejects feedlot application near Pigeon Lake

Alberta regulator rejects feedlot application near Pigeon Lake

An Alberta regulatory body has turned down an application to expand a feedlot near a popular recreational lake, saying the location wasn't appropriate and would damage the local community. In a decision released Wednesday, the Natural Resources Conservation Board denied a plan from G&S Cattle to build a 4,000-head feedlot near the shores of Pigeon Lake, south of Edmonton. "I find that effects of this application on the community would not be acceptable, and that the proposed [confined feeding operation] would not be an appropriate use of this land," wrote approval officer Nathan Shirley.

She stripped a river full of this pesky invasive plant — by hand

She stripped a river full of this pesky invasive plant — by hand

Katie Church has yanked so many patches of the pesky invasive European water chestnut this summer, she has dreams about doing it. "I look at the chestnut in the water and [dream of] removing it and making sure everything is clear," she laughs. Church has just finished leading a field team of five summer students hired by the non-profit Invasive Species Centre. The group was tasked with searching, finding and plucking the thick, rooted green invasive aquatic plant by hand along a 30-kilometre stretch of the Welland River, in Ontario's Niagara Region.

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