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

Amendments to provincial anti-trespassing law aimed at federal employees

Amendments to provincial anti-trespassing law aimed at federal employees

Federal government employees who enter private land without the owner's consent face fines of up to $200,000 under an amendment to Saskatchewan's anti-trespassing law. "This formalizes and reinforces the change to trespass regulations, made earlier this year, that requires federal employees to comply with the Act, which prohibits individuals from entering private land without the owner's consent," Justice Minister Bronwyn Eyre said in a news release about the Trespass to Property Amendment Act, 2022.

Yukon can expect more rain and snow as climate changes, gov't report says

Yukon can expect more rain and snow as climate changes, gov't report says

Yukoners can expect to see a significant increase in precipitation in the next 50 years, according to the territory's latest environmental report. The 2022 state of the environment interim report, published on Monday by the Yukon government, estimates annual precipitation could rise by almost 17 per cent before 2072. The data reflects a similar trend on annual temperatures, which have increased by 2.2 C over the last 50 years — with winter temperatures increasing by almost 5 C. "Our environment is changing due to climate change impacts and a growing population," Yukon Environment Minister Nils Clarke said in a press release on Monday.

Wunnumin First Nation Calls on Canada to Ensure Community Members Receive Individual Compensation Under Class Action Settlement

Wunnumin First Nation Calls on Canada to Ensure Community Members Receive Individual Compensation Under Class Action Settlement

Chief and Council of Wunnumin Lake First Nation are calling on the Government of Canada to ensure that compensation is provided for community members who have suffered from boil water advisories but are being denied compensation under the terms of a settlement agreement for class-action litigation on Canada’s failure to provide safe drinking water in First Nations communities.

Chalk River, Ont. company heading to the moon in search of water

Chalk River, Ont. company heading to the moon in search of water

A relatively unknown company in the Ottawa Valley will be part of a team that is sending Canada's first-ever lunar rover to the moon in 2026. Bubble Technology Industries (BTI) in Chalk River is designing a device that will attach onto the rover and search for water or ice as it drives across the moon's surface. "Our system is specifically being designed as a radiation detector with the primary purpose of detecting water at the South Pole of the moon," says Scott MacEwan, a research scientist at BTI.

New city council reaffirms interest in Canada Water Agency

New city council reaffirms interest in Canada Water Agency

One of the first actions of our 2022-2026 city council was to toast Sault Ste. Marie's bid to become the home of the new Canada Water Agency. Councillors gave unanimous support Monday night to a resolution from Ward 5 Coun. Corey Gardi and Ward 2's Luke Dufour, confirming that the Sault is still the "superior" choice for the new agency, intended to work with provinces, territories, Indigenous communities, local authorities, scientists, and others to keep Canada's fresh water safe, clean, and well-managed. "We're in the process of arranging for a couple of meetings with members of the federal government," Gardi said. "The task force has really stepped up its work over the course of the last couple of weeks." "It seems that the decision is imminent," Gardi said.

Lower water levels affecting Canadian crop shipments

Lower water levels affecting Canadian crop shipments

Although the lower river levels of the Mississippi River are perhaps better documented as affecting the movement of product into and through the US, Canada’s St. Lawrence River is also experiencing its shortcomings. The St. Lawrence River route with ports on both the US and Canadian sides moves a lot of agricultural products—about 40 percent of the Seaway’s trade. Note that the St. Lawrence route also moves cargo down via the Mississippi into the US, and vice versa.

City of Hamilton discovers 26-year leak of sewage into Hamilton Harbour

City of Hamilton discovers 26-year leak of sewage into Hamilton Harbour

The City of Hamilton says it has just discovered sewage has been leaking into the Hamilton Harbour for 26 years because of a hole in a combined sewage pipe in the industrial sector. It's unclear how much sewage has spilled into the harbour. But Nick Winters, director of Hamilton Water, told reporters on Tuesday afternoon "it's going to be a big number," adding the city will publicly release the number as soon as they have it.

Lead in drinking water at some Quebec schools still exceeds Health Canada guideline

Lead in drinking water at some Quebec schools still exceeds Health Canada guideline

About a year after the Quebec government released a report on the levels of lead in the drinking water in schools, some school boards have yet to make all the necessary repairs. Among the reasons cited for the delays are government financing issues, labour shortages at plumbing and water testing companies, difficulty procuring parts and the pandemic.

Norway House community members voice concerns on potential northern Manitoba nickel mine

Norway House community members voice concerns on potential northern Manitoba nickel mine

Members of Norway House Cree Nation raised concerns about information sharing, environmental impacts and community employment at a consultation for a potential nickel mine in the area. Last Thursday, Flying Nickel Mining Corporation and the Government of Manitoba hosted a public consultation around the Minago Nickel Project — a possible development following a memorandum of understanding that was signed by the First Nation's chief and Flying Nickel in February. The mine could be under construction starting in 2024.

Barrick Gold’s ongoing chapter in Canadian mining history

Barrick Gold’s ongoing chapter in Canadian mining history

In 2009, the then outgoing Chilean President Michelle Bachelet was awarded the Gold Insigne award by the Council of the Americas; the latter an American business organisation “promoting free trade, democracy and open markets throughout the Americas.” Bachelet is not a stranger to controversy when it comes to human rights violations. Despite her personal history and that of her family as victims of the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship, her legacy as president also included excessive use of the anti-terrorist law to criminalise the Indigenous Mapuche’s resistance against exploitation of their land and natural resources.

COVID-19 levels in wastewater down in Saskatoon, P.A. and North Battleford

COVID-19 levels in wastewater down in Saskatoon, P.A. and North Battleford

COVID-19 levels in wastewater are dropping in three Saskatchewan cities, according to University of Saskatchewan researchers who have been tracking the viral load in Saskatoon, Prince Albert and North Battleford. In Saskatoon, viral levels in wastewater have dipped 14.9 per cent from the previous week. This comes after a massive spike of 460 per cent the week before that.

Water Ways' Canadian Subsidiary Order Backlog for 2023 Exceeds CAD$2,000,000

Water Ways' Canadian Subsidiary Order Backlog for 2023 Exceeds CAD$2,000,000

Water Ways Technologies Inc. (TSXV: WWT) (FRA: WWT) ("Water Ways" or the "Company"), a global provider of Israeli-based agriculture technology, providing water irrigation solutions to agricultural producers, announces that the current 2023 order backlog of its Canadian subsidiary, Heartnut Grove WWT Inc. ("HGWWT"), based in Mt. Brydges Ontario, exceeded CAD$2,000,000 as of November 21, 2022. The orders are for agricultural and irrigation suppliers and farmers across Canada and Northern United States. The orders on hand are to be delivered in Q1 and Q2 of 2023.

A little art, a little science

A little art, a little science

A walk in the park provided inspiration for a striking photograph that earned national recognition this week for an engineering professor at the University of Waterloo. Dr. Zhao Pan was in a 500-year-old Beijing park in his native China after a sudden rainfall when he noticed huge drops of water hanging from the tips of leaves in cypress trees. “I play with droplets every day, but these were much larger than any I had seen in the lab,” he recalls. “I was amazed by Mother Nature, so I decided to do some research into it.”

NPCA offering restoration and water well decommissioning grants for 2023

NPCA offering restoration and water well decommissioning grants for 2023

The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority would like to give you some money. The NPCA is seeking applications for its restoration and water well decommissioning grant programs for projects in 2023. Selected projects will help improve water quality and wildlife habitat as part of ongoing efforts to restore and preserve the Niagara Peninsula watershed’s natural heritage and water resources.

Nipissing professor receives prestigious role

Nipissing professor receives prestigious role

Colin McCarter has been named Canada Research Chair in Climate and Environmental Change and the recipient of $600,000 in funding. McCarter is an assistant professor cross-appointed in the Department of Geography and the Department of Biology and Chemistry in the Faculty of Arts and Science at Nipissing University. The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced an investment of more than $139 million to support 176 new and renewed Canada Research Chairs across Canada.

N.S. wants to clean up a contaminated former gold mine — if only it could figure out who owns the land

N.S. wants to clean up a contaminated former gold mine — if only it could figure out who owns the land

The Nova Scotia government wants to acquire one of the province's two most contaminated historical gold mines so it can clean it up. The Goldenville site, located near Sherbrooke on the Eastern Shore, was the most productive of Nova Scotia's 64 historical gold mine districts. It was mined from 1862 to 1941 and included as many as 19 different open pit and underground mines.

B.C.'s Sunshine Coast lifts state of emergency caused by drought

B.C.'s Sunshine Coast lifts state of emergency caused by drought

A state of local emergency in response to drought along British Columbia's Sunshine Coast has been lifted with water flow returning to a key water source. A statement from the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD), the District of Sechelt and shíshálh Nation says levels in the watershed have risen slightly because of snowmelt with warmer-than-expected temperatures. Leonard Lee, the regional district board chair, says staff have worked hard to ensure residents have had access to water through a 100-day summer drought and an unprecedented transition to freezing.

B.C. Climate News Nov. 14 to Nov. 20: UN talks poised for deal creating disaster | Trees in cities struggle from drought | Indigenous people an 'afterthought' as world leaders gather

B.C. Climate News Nov. 14 to Nov. 20: UN talks poised for deal creating disaster | Trees in cities struggle from drought | Indigenous people an 'afterthought' as world leaders gather

Here’s your weekly update with what you need to know about the global and ecological crises and the steps leaders in B.C. and around the world are taking for the week of Nov. 14 to Nov. 20, 2022. COP27 goes into overtime as Canada continues to face criticism on oil and gas stance, UN climate talks poised for deal creating disaster fund, Indigenous people an ‘afterthought’ as world leaders gather to confront climate change, As climate change progresses, trees in cities struggle The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned for a decade that wildfires, drought, severe weather, such as B.C.’s deadly heat dome last June, and flooding would become more frequent and more intense because of the climate crisis.

Construction work provides lake oasis for Canada Geese

Construction work provides lake oasis for Canada Geese

Canada Geese have been hanging around Portage at a particular spot on Crescent Lake recently. It seems to be due to the provision of open water caused by, of all things, the construction going on on 18th St SW. Water is being pumped from storm drains on the street into the lake, keeping the ice from building up around that location. A hose is running beneath some compacted fill on Crescent Road over to the Lake area.

Drinking water project to continue through winter

Drinking water project to continue through winter

The third phase of a decades long struggle to bring safe drinking water to Tyenindaga Mohawk Territory is well under way, Chief R. Donald Maracle said. “Currently, we are building the disaster mitigation and adaptation part,” the longtime chief said in an interview. “Infrastructure Canada contributing $30 million, (while) the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte will be putting in approximately $10 million for this project. Phase 3 broke ground on Oct. 3 at the corner of Beach Road and Young Street in Shannonville. The work, being done by Gordon Barr Ltd., encompasses 21 kilometres of watermain and service to 320 residences. “Right now that project is under construction on Beach Road,” Chief Maracle said. “I think they’re almost down to the Beach area now from Shannonville, and they hope to have that completed before Christmas, and then they’ll move along over to the other part of Ridge Road.”

Follow us