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

Kensington residents will benefit from Credit Union Centre and water system upgrades

Kensington residents will benefit from Credit Union Centre and water system upgrades

Today, Heath MacDonald, Member of Parliament for Malpeque; the Honourable Dennis King, Premier of Prince Edward Island, and His Worship Rowan Caseley, Mayor of the Town of Kensington, announced $4.2 million in joint funding for two infrastructure projects in Kensington. With this funding, Islanders will benefit from several upgrades to Kensington's Credit Union Centre (CUC), which include installing a 100kw solar panel system, replacing the ice plant, installing new LED lights over the ice surface, and resurfacing the parking lot. These upgrades will ensure the CUC operates more efficiently, providing Kensington and surrounding communities with a safer, greener, more comfortable facility for sports and activities.

Atlantic First Nations Water Authority signs deal to take over water services in 17 First Nations

Atlantic First Nations Water Authority signs deal to take over water services in 17 First Nations

The Atlantic First Nations Water Authority has signed a transfer agreement with Indigenous Services Canada to take over water and wastewater management in 17 First Nations in the region. The communities will still need a ratifying vote to officially come aboard but Chief Ross Perley of Neqotkuk, a Wolastoqey community 120 kilometres northwest of Fredericton, said the agreement signed Nov. 7 in Halifax represents much-needed empowerment for First Nations.

Ottawa's new mayor heads to Queen's Park Tuesday to talk money, housing bill

Ottawa's new mayor heads to Queen's Park Tuesday to talk money, housing bill

A week after he is sworn in, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe will meet with Premier Doug Ford and Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark Tuesday at Queen's Park. They will have no shortage of issues to discuss. In a memo to council members sent Thursday afternoon, the mayor said he plans to talk about "ongoing pandemic-related pressures — including reduced transit ridership, the Social Services Relief Fund, and the need for recovery assistance resulting from the May 2022 derecho [storm]."

Saint John renter 'caught in the crossfire' between out-of-province landlord and city's water department

Saint John renter 'caught in the crossfire' between out-of-province landlord and city's water department

For a day and a half, Susan Holita lived with the prospect of having her water shut off — through no fault of her own. She was stressed and wasn't exactly sure when the water would stop. Not knowing when it would happen was almost as stressful as the prospect of living without running water. Holita has been living in the one-bedroom condo on Golding Street, near St. Joseph's Hospital, since she moved to Saint John, N.B., in 2018 and has always paid her rent, which includes water.

Quest Water and Aquatap (TM) Oasis Announce Partnership with Trust Merchant Bank and Launch of New Distributor-Based Business Model

Quest Water and Aquatap (TM) Oasis Announce Partnership with Trust Merchant Bank and Launch of New Distributor-Based Business Model

QUEST WATER GLOBAL, INC. (OTC Pink: QWTR) ("Quest" and/or the "Company"), an innovative water technology company and developer of the solar-powered AQUAtap™ water purification, desalination, and distribution technology, announced today that the Company’s joint venture in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (the “DRC”), AQUAtap™ Oasis Partnership SARL (“AQUAtap™ Oasis”), has partnered with Trust Merchant Bank (TMB) in the DRC to launch a new distributor-based business model.

K+S Potash Canada gearing up for increased capacity at Bethune mine

K+S Potash Canada gearing up for increased capacity at Bethune mine

Although the grand opening of the K+S Potash Canada (KSPC) mine in Bethune was greeted with cheers from across the province in 2017, there are still plenty of reasons to celebrate as the company plans to continue increasing production at the facility over the coming decades. KSPC is targeting to one day reach four million of tonnes of potash production per year, which is double the current production from the mine.

BQE Water : Named a Canada's Clean Technology winner in the Technology Fast 50™ program

BQE Water : Named a Canada's Clean Technology winner in the Technology Fast 50™ program

BQE Water Inc. (TSX-V: BQE), a leader in the treatment and management of mine impacted waters, has received a Clean Technology award as part of the Technology Fast 50 program. Launched last year, the new award leadership category recognizes Canada's top clean innovators providing processes, goods or services that reduce environmental impacts.

Manitoba Hydro says it needs 3.5% rate hikes in next 2 years to manage risks from debt, water levels

Manitoba Hydro says it needs 3.5% rate hikes in next 2 years to manage risks from debt, water levels

Manitoba Hydro is asking the provincial regulator, the Public Utilities Board, to approve electricity rate increases of 3.5 per cent in each of the next two years. It also warns that it will likely need rate hikes above the rate of inflation in the future if it is to meet government debt-reduction targets. "These proposed increases will help ensure Manitoba Hydro has the financial resources available to handle the risks created by our $24-billion debt load and factors that are out of our control like fluctuating interest rates, export market prices and water levels," Jay Grewal, president and CEO of the Crown-owned utility, said in a press release Wednesday.

Q+A: U of S water expert delivers talks to COP27 climate conference

Q+A: U of S water expert delivers talks to COP27 climate conference

John Pomeroy, director of the Global Water Futures program at the University of Saskatchewan is delivering virtual talks on glacier preservation and water issues in the circumpolar North to delegates at the COP27 climate summit. He spoke with Postmedia ahead of his second lecture, set to be delivered Wednesday. Q: What are some key points from your talks? A: Warming is proceeding faster in the mountains than other parts of the world. Glaciers are retreating, snowpacks are melting earlier in the year. We’re also getting extremely high temperatures, such as in 2021, and massive forest fires in areas as well as flash-flooding coming form heavy rainfall at times. All these are occurring at once, which is making it very challenging.

Narhwal Week, episode 3: Can Canada survive flooding?

Narhwal Week, episode 3: Can Canada survive flooding?

This is the third episode in a weeklong collaboration between The Big Story and The Narwhal, an award-winning non-profit publication that provides in-depth coverage of climate issues across Canada. More than 200 million people could be displaced from their homes worldwide in the next few decades as extreme weather events become more frequent and intense. The biggest climate change risk in Canada? Flooding.

The Dangers of Fracking in Canadian Wells

The Dangers of Fracking in Canadian Wells

Fracking is a process of drilling and injecting fluid into the ground at a high pressure in order to fracture shale rocks and release natural gas inside. Although fracking has been used in the U.S. since the 1950s, it was not until recently that this process made its way up to Canada. Currently, there is a moratorium on fracking in Quebec, but this process is still occurring in many other parts of the country. Fracking has been shown to have a number of negative environmental impacts, including water contamination, air pollution, and noise pollution. In addition, fracking can also lead to earthquakes. For these reasons, it is important for Canadians to be aware of the dangers of fracking so that they can make informed decisions about whether or not to support this process.

State of local emergency extended for part of B.C.'s Sunshine Coast as historic drought continues

State of local emergency extended for part of B.C.'s Sunshine Coast as historic drought continues

Officials on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast have approved another extension of the state of local emergency declared last month as an intense summer drought and little rain have nearly exhausted a key watershed. The Sunshine Coast Regional District says the state of local emergency, declared jointly with the District of Sechelt and shíshálh Nation, will now remain in effect until at least Nov. 21.

Can you put a price on the impact of Yellowknife's Giant Mine?

Can you put a price on the impact of Yellowknife's Giant Mine?

Last week, the federal government revealed that cleaning up Yellowknife's Giant Mine is now projected to cost $4.38 billion instead of $1 billion. This is, by one measure, greater than the mine's total estimated revenues during its operation. Quantifying, in dollar terms, the impact of the mine on the local economy, the environment, and the people who live on and use the area's land and water is complicated, if not impossible.

Fluoride still not flowing in Calgary’s water

Fluoride still not flowing in Calgary’s water

Whether Calgary does or doesn’t have fluoride in its water appears to be a fluid situation. Last year, council voted in favour of adding fluoride after a plebiscite question in the municipal election. However, if you think you’ve been drinking it over the last 12 months, you’re mistaken. At the time of the vote, city officials told councillors it would take between 18 and 24 months to complete the work to add the mineral back into Calgarians water. But that timeline may now be extended.

Pilot project aims to make Lethbridge greener

Pilot project aims to make Lethbridge greener

Lethbridge could become a ‘living city.’ Environment Lethbridge has partnered with Green Communities Canada to become one of its five Living Cities Canada pilot projects. Kathleen Sheppard, Executive Director of Environment Lethbridge, explains that a living city is one that has large amounts of green spaces and green resources. “That can be things like trees, green roofs, rain gardens, community gardens, all of those pieces that really bring some green into the city,” says Sheppard.

Zann's environmental racism bill finally pushing through House of Commons

Zann's environmental racism bill finally pushing through House of Commons

Canada’s first environmental racism bill was back before the House of Commons this week after the committee studying the bill approved it without amendment. The bill was first tabled by former Nova Scotia MP Lenore Zann in February 2020. “Environmental racism is something that has been ignored for far too many years,” Zann, the Liberal MP for Cumberland-Colchester, said in bringing forth the private member’s bill for second reading in the House of Commons on Dec. 8, 2020.

Lethbridge voted number one for best tasting water

Lethbridge voted number one for best tasting water

Lethbridge has been crowned the winner for the best tasting water. Out of nine competing cities at the 2022 American Water Works Association Western Canada Conference, Lethbridge was chosen as number with Jasper and St. Albert coming in behind. An official with the city explains the secret behind the best tasting water. “It’s purely a subjective competition. They have a panel of people that are tasting and sniffing the entries. Some of the things they’re looking for is whether there’s an aftertaste, a chemical aftertaste, or whether there’s an odor that might impact customers experience,” said Doug Kaupp, General Manager of Waster & Wastewater for the city of Lethbridge.

Short on fresh water, North Africa turns to desalination for water security

Short on fresh water, North Africa turns to desalination for water security


Low water levels reveal dry, crusty banks of the Nile River. As one of the longest rivers in the world is threatened by both overuse and climate change, so is the water security of the millions of people who rely on it for daily use in Sudan and Egypt. As the host country of the COP27 climate conference, Egypt kept water security front and centre. Monday was "water day" at the summit, and desalination was a hot topic.

Here's why there are big blue fire hydrants spread across part of Vancouver

Here's why there are big blue fire hydrants spread across part of Vancouver

The classic fire hydrant is the red one, with one or two nozzle hook-ups. Sometimes you'll see orange or red and white ones. And if you're in Vancouver downtown, West End, Fairview, or Kitsilano neighbourhoods, you might see big blue and white ones, with three nozzles hookups. That's because they're part of a large, separate network, called the dedicated fire protection system (DFPS), says Vancouver Fire Rescue Service spokesperson Matthew Trudeau.

USask hydrologists, beamline scientists named highly cited researchers

USask hydrologists, beamline scientists named highly cited researchers

Researchers recognized in this list have published multiple academic papers that rank in the top one per cent of citations in their fields for the year, as analyzed by the global Web of Science—a database of bibliographic citations that covers the various journals of medical, scientific and social sciences. Dr. Jay Famiglietti (PhD), executive director of GIWS and Canada 150 Research Chair in Hydrology and Remote Sensing, is a leading hydrologist and has previously served as a senior water scientist in the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

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