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

Hamilton estimates 337 million litres of sewage spilled into harbourfront since 1996

Hamilton estimates 337 million litres of sewage spilled into harbourfront since 1996

The City of Hamilton estimates 337 million litres of sewage — roughly 135 Olympic-sized swimming pools worth of sewage — flowed into the harbour since 1996. That's roughly 13 million litres per year for 26 years. "City staff developed this estimate based on the water meter usage data for all of the properties connected to the combined sewer pipe," read a media release from the city on Monday morning, adding this method was identified as the most accurate way to represent the discharge over the 26 years.

Big picture view of the Salish Sea emerges in richly detailed map

Big picture view of the Salish Sea emerges in richly detailed map

Jeff Clark thought the existing maps of the Salish Sea didn’t have enough detail. So he set out to make a much more detailed map, “to increase the geographic literacy of the area.” This meant not only showing the natural features, but also the human-made ones. And not just cities — he thought it was important to include details like the traditional lands of coastal First Nations. The result is The Essential Geography of The Salish Sea, a wall-sized map that gives viewers a “big picture view” of the Salish Sea bioregion, which stretches from Puget Sound near Seattle to the Pantheon Mountain Range, 300 kilometres up the coast from Vancouver.

A look at the most expensive federal remediation projects in Canada

A look at the most expensive federal remediation projects in Canada

The federal government is responsible for more than 20,000 contaminated sites in Canada. Here is a breakdown of the top five most expensive environmental cleanups where taxpayers are footing the bill. In some cases, public cost estimates have not been updated for several years. Giant Mine Estimated to cost $4.38 billion between 2005 and 2038.

Amazon Web Services plans to be water positive by 2030

Amazon Web Services plans to be water positive by 2030

Amazon Web Services (AWS) on Monday revealed that it plans to be water positive, giving back more water than it uses directly, by 2030. Amazon's (AMZN) cloud business has long been exploring water sustainability and innovation, but this marks a new level of public commitment, said AWS CEO Adam Selipsky in an exclusive interview prior to the announcement. “This started as an internal goal a couple of years ago,” Selipsky told Yahoo Finance. “We’re really just externalizing that goal now."

Excitement, apathy as some N.B. residents to vote for first time in municipal elections

Excitement, apathy as some N.B. residents to vote for first time in municipal elections

David Jensen has lived in Keswick Ridge since 2004 and has spent the last 18 years trying to get someone to fix a ditch that's been leaking water into his backyard. He has high hopes for Monday. He finally has the chance to vote for a mayor and council who might listen — and solve a problem neglected by other levels of government. "I feel good about it," he said of the municipal election being held in the new Central York Rural Community. "With a mayor or something, I might be able to talk to him and maybe get something done because it affects me, but it also affects the neighbour below me, the neighbour below that, and the neighbour below that, right?"

Canada has a responsibility to safely manage nuclear waste for generations — here’s the plan

Canada has a responsibility to safely manage nuclear waste for generations — here’s the plan

Canada’s own deep geological repository would be built more than 500 metres underground, surrounded by a natural barrier of solid rock that has been disconnected from the water table for millions of years. To visualize that depth, imagine an excavation more than five times as deep as the House of Commons Peace Tower is tall. The NWMO has been working to identify a site for the deep geological repository since 2010. Twenty-two municipalities and Indigenous communities expressed interest in exploring their potential to host it.

In time of climate crisis, Manitoba unveils new water strategy

In time of climate crisis, Manitoba unveils new water strategy

From nutrient-rich wetlands and 100,000 lakes to a dry southern region and an Arctic port, Manitoba is a province defined by water — after all, nearly a fifth of the province is covered in it. Now, in an update nearly 20 years in the waiting, the Manitoba government has released a strategy to manage its water resources — factoring in the impacts of a warming climate for the first time.

‘Before the flood’: The growing urgency of adapting to the climate crisis

‘Before the flood’: The growing urgency of adapting to the climate crisis

The adaptation measures, he says, include looking at “building codes, where we build, how we build,” as well as efforts “to develop a national flood insurance program” to better inform planning decisions. Better flood mapping is also part of the government’s strategy. One community that is showing the way in that respect is Peterborough, Ont., about two hours east of Toronto. Nearly twenty years ago, it was severely impacted by floods of epic proportions that any resident old enough to have lived through them can hardly forget.

Sparkling Water Market is Anticipated to Reach a valuation of USD 69.15 Bn by 2028 at 12.48% CAGR - Exclusive Report by Brandessence Market Research

Sparkling Water Market is Anticipated to Reach a valuation of USD 69.15 Bn by 2028 at 12.48% CAGR - Exclusive Report by Brandessence Market Research

Sparkling water, also known as carbonated water, is enriched with minerals such as magnesium, sodium, and calcium and hence offers a wide array of health benefits. It does not contain any form of sugar additive unlike other beverages. The regulation consumption of sparkling water relieves constipation, improves digestion, enhances swallowing ability while reducing the risk of heart diseases.

Six-year Silverthorn storm trunk sewer build at halfway point

Six-year Silverthorn storm trunk sewer build at halfway point

A severe storm which hit Toronto almost 20 years ago causing major property damage is the driver of a massive infrastructure project. Designed by CH2M Hill Canada Ltd (now Jacobs), the $400-million Fairbank Silverthorn Storm Trunk Sewer project is an undertaking which took years of planning and design, required shipping a tunnel boring machine from France, and is only about the half-way point of approximately six years of construction.

Lloydminster new wastewater plant nears completion

Lloydminster new wastewater plant nears completion

To comply with updated Canadian environmental effluent water-quality requirements, the city of Lloydminster is in the process of building a new wastewater treatment facility. The project is now (fall 2022) more than two-thirds complete. Terry Burton, Lloydminster’s director of planning and engineering, says the new facility will be commissioned in late 2023 and is expected to be fully operational by December 2023. The city of 31,000, which straddles the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, constructed the original facility in 1983.

Needles in sewage adding new hazards

Needles in sewage adding new hazards

The issue of non-flushables, such as wet wipes, plaguing wastewater authorities across Canada has added a new concern as Canada’s opioid crisis is resulting in more spent needles in sewer clogs. “We are running into more needles because of the opioid crisis and there are needles galore in the sewage system,” said Barry Orr, who for more than a decade has been Canada’s leading voice in the fight against non-flushables, a member of an international committee concerned about non-flushables and establishing standards for what is deemed flushable in sewer lines. He is currently the sewer outreach and control inspector for the London, Ont.

Filtration change at treatment facility leads to complaints of smelly, musty water in Regina

Filtration change at treatment facility leads to complaints of smelly, musty water in Regina

Kurtis Anderson says the water at his home in Regina's south end smells and tastes terrible. "It really just kind of smells like soil, like organic matter," he said in an interview on Friday. The problem, which began a few weeks ago, is not just limited to drinking water. His family's clothes have the same cloying smell after being run through the wash, their dishes appear to be coated in something and even the water in the shower reeks. "It seems to come and go a little bit, but there's times where it's really bad," Anderson said. The problem isn't coming from inside their home. It's coming from the water source.

Low Mississippi River threatens grain exports

Low Mississippi River threatens grain exports

Low water levels on the Mississippi River in the United States could have an impact on corn and other grain prices, but are unlikely to affect fertilizer deliveries into Canada, say officials. The Mississippi River is considered low if the stage falls below five feet in Memphis, Tennessee. On Oct. 20 it hit a record low of -10.74 feet. The stage bounced back to -0.79 feet on Nov. 18, due to rains in Kentucky and Tennessee that made their way into the river basin.

Rooted in community: Dalhousie innovators celebrated for their impact in Nova Scotia and beyond at Discovery Awards

Rooted in community: Dalhousie innovators celebrated for their impact in Nova Scotia and beyond at Discovery Awards

Dr. Amina Stoddart, a professor in Dalhousie’s Department of Civil and Resource Engineering, is applying her expertise in wastewater treatment to help advance the state of the art in water utilities. In 2020, Dr. Stoddart was awarded a highly competitive, internationally peer-reviewed 3-year, $1 million Collaborative Research and Development (CRD) Grant with Halifax Water from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) focused on wastewater surveillance and wastewater treatment optimization. This award is one of the largest CRD grants ever awarded to a faculty member at Dalhousie University. The goal of her research is to improve the effluent quality of the wastewater systems operated by Halifax Water. Through a series of studies Dr. Stoddart and her research team will identify chemical treatment optimizations, illuminate fouling mechanisms, test new technologies for disinfection, and assess discharge of contaminants of emerging concern, including microplastics.

The Ford government is trying to sell off Ontario’s natural heritage

The Ford government is trying to sell off Ontario’s natural heritage

Bill 23 would strip conversation authorities of their ability to adequately protect from flooding and keep drinking water free from pollution by managing the watershed including wetlands and woodlands. These reforms could also force conservation authorities to sell off conservation areas to developers and speculators by requiring them to identify “surplus” lands to sell for housing.

Do people aboard derelict boats in False Creek have squatters' rights?

Do people aboard derelict boats in False Creek have squatters' rights?

There have been longstanding community concerns about derelict boats in False Creek, according to the Vancouver Police Department. Pressure from locals regarding pollution, safety, and aesthetic issues has spurred VPD's Marine Unit along with Transport Canada and the City of Vancouver to embark on a project to clean up the harbour.

How Acuva balances global growth with local impact to provide clean drinking water

How Acuva balances global growth with local impact to provide clean drinking water

Canada is privileged to have abundant clean drinking water, but that’s not the case globally. Nearly one-third of people worldwide don’t have access to clean drinking water due to microbes and other contaminants, a problem that Manoj Singh thinks he can solve with technology. Singh founded Acuva in 2014 with a mission to enable clean drinking water using technology and so far he’s secured $8.4 million in growth financing to do it.

Pattullo Bridge Update: Main tower foundation complete, major milestone on the horizon

Pattullo Bridge Update: Main tower foundation complete, major milestone on the horizon

Crews are nearly done putting the final piles in the mighty Fraser River to finish the foundation for the new Pattullo bridge. The $1.3-billion project will see the original bridge replaced with a modern version, one that is being touted as less invasive, will have a reduced hydraulic effect on down river infrastructure and is up to modern-seismic code.

Lunar rover: A look at Canadian tech bound for the moon

Lunar rover: A look at Canadian tech bound for the moon

Located in Bolton, Ont., Canadensys Aerospace is starting to engineer and build the rover to explore the moon for water ice as part of an international mission that’s been ongoing for decades. One of the payloads, provided by Bubble Technology Industries from Chalk River, Ont., can detect iron and calcium and the presence of hydrogen that can help scientists locate water ice. Besides building the rover, Canadensys will create three payloads: a Lyman-Alpha Imager to identify surface water ice, a Multi-Spectral Imager to identify minerals on the moon, and an MSI-Macro to collect similar data through mineralogy but with a higher resolution. Radiation will be measured with a device from Teledyne DALSA, a Waterloo, Ont. company. "We've got two objectives really," Sallaberger said. "The engineering side… preparing for eventually larger rovers and human missions. But on the scientific side, the main goal is looking for water." For humans to live long-term on the moon, there needs to be a sustainable water source. Sallaberger says the moon's south pole is likely to have water ice in the shadowed craters.

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