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

Smaller Canadian cities rank high on environmental scorecard that has a few surprises

Smaller Canadian cities rank high on environmental scorecard that has a few surprises

A new environmental scorecard says Canada's biggest cities have lower scores than most small and medium-sized municipalities, but a closer look at the data reveals some surprises. The study, published Tuesday in the journal Environment International, rates 30 of the country's largest cities and towns on nine indicators related to health, including air quality, heat and cold waves, ultraviolet radiation, and access to green spaces. The results are compiled in the new Canadian Environmental Quality Index, produced by Dalhousie University in Halifax.

Therme Group, wellbeing resort firm, releases its plans for Ontario Place

Therme Group, wellbeing resort firm, releases its plans for Ontario Place

The province says it recently concluded almost four weeks of online public consultations aimed at gathering input on design concepts for future public spaces and parkland at the site. The results of those consultations and previous public engagement events will be shared in 2023. Public access to the waterfront has been a major source of conflict to this point and the push to privatize a large portion of Ontario Place has those opposed sounding the alarm along the lake even louder.

20K litres of fuel spilled after loaded tanker crashes near Nunavut gold mine

20K litres of fuel spilled after loaded tanker crashes near Nunavut gold mine

An estimated 20,000 litres of fuel were spilled near the Meadowbank gold mine in the Kivalliq region of Nunavut after a loaded fuel tanker rolled over on an all-season road. In a news release on Tuesday, Agnico Eagle, Meadowbank Complex's owner, said it doesn't appear as though fuel has entered any freshwater body. It said the spill was reported on Monday. The road was closed as Meadowbank personnel implemented emergency spill measures and ongoing remediation action, the release said.

Sachigo Lake First Nation completes water system upgrades, lifts long-term drinking water advisory

Sachigo Lake First Nation completes water system upgrades, lifts long-term drinking water advisory

First Nations, with support from the Government of Canada, continue to make significant progress in ending long-term drinking water advisories on reserves and building sustainable solutions to support access to safe, clean drinking water. After completing upgrades and expansions to the community's water infrastructure, Sachigo Lake First Nation's Chief and Council recently lifted the long-term drinking water advisory affecting over 500 community members since October 19, 2018.

Just released: Updated version of cyber security tool for water infrastructure

Just released: Updated version of cyber security tool for water infrastructure

Public Safety Canada (PSC) recently released a new version of its cyber security tool for owners and operators of water and other critical infrastructure. The Canadian Cyber Security Tool Version 2.0 (CCST 2.0) is a virtual self-assessment tool that gives users an overview of their organization’s ability to resist cyber attacks. CCST 2.0 is a short self-assessment that also gives owners and operators comparative results in critical infrastructure.

Vancouver’s Healthy Waters Plan to tackle runoff risks

Vancouver’s Healthy Waters Plan to tackle runoff risks

The City of Vancouver has embarked on a generational project called the Healthy Waters Plan that will lay out a blueprint for eliminating chronic aquatic ecosystem pollution from sanitary sewers and storm water runoff. The plan is being completed in three phases and will guide long-range investments, programs and policies to address pollution from sewer overflows and urban runoff and key issues related to climate change and aging infrastructure. A team of planners, engineers and consultants has completed the initial phase of the plan and come up with a framework of guiding principles and objectives that define the vision of the strategy and what is necessary to achieve it.

Manitoba Hydro revises its rate-hike request, cites cut in government charges

Manitoba Hydro revises its rate-hike request, cites cut in government charges

Manitoba Hydro is reducing its request for rate increases for the next two years and is crediting a recent provincial government fee reduction. Earlier this month, the Crown-owned utility said it would ask the provincial regulator, the Public Utilities Board, for rate hikes of 3.5 per cent in each of the next two years. The utility said Tuesday it is revising that request to two per cent in each year.

NHH RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY BY THE CANADIAN COALITION OF GREEN HEALTH CARE

NHH RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY BY THE CANADIAN COALITION OF GREEN HEALTH CARE

To be considered for the Green Health Care Awards, NHH was required to track its performance against key indicators also measured by hospital peers on a national scorecard maintained by the Coalition known as the Green Hospital Scorecard. The Scorecard is the only comprehensive health care environmental performance benchmarking tool in Canada, measuring energy conservation, water conservation, waste management and recycling, corporate commitment, and pollution prevention.

Flood Watch Issued for Lake Erie Shoreline

Flood Watch Issued for Lake Erie Shoreline

A Flood Watch has been issued for Niagara's Lake Erie shoreline. With Environment Canada issuing a special weather statement, the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority says the strong winds in tomorrow's forecast will increase water levels and waves along the Lake Erie shoreline in Port Colborne and Fort Erie. The Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry predicts that Lake Erie water levels will rise by more than four feet above current levels tomorrow.

Houston Investigators Are Going Underground to Probe Water Outage

Houston Investigators Are Going Underground to Probe Water Outage

Houston officials are investigating the cause of the electrical failure that left millions of people without clean water for almost two days and closed local schools. Investigators were preparing to descend into manholes at the city’s biggest water-treatment complex to examine cables suspected of being a possible source of Sunday’s calamitous outage, Erin Jones, a spokesperson for the Houston Public Works Department, said on Tuesday. Those inspections could be delayed because of expected thunderstorms that would make it hazardous to go underground, she said.

U.S. seeks to appoint manager of water supply in Jackson, Mississippi

U.S. seeks to appoint manager of water supply in Jackson, Mississippi

The U.S. Justice Department has reached an agreement with the state of Mississippi and the city of Jackson to appoint an interim third-party manager to stabilize the city's drinking water supply after a catastrophic failure over the summer. The Justice Department also a filed a complaint against the city on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency, alleging the city failed to provide reliable drinking water.

One in three Canadians think their home insurance policies cover water damage

One in three Canadians think their home insurance policies cover water damage

With severe weather becoming less and less of a rarity across Canada, home insurance is climbing up the list of things Canadians have to double-check. And yet a new survey has found that one in three Canadian homeowners mistakenly think their standard home insurance policy includes flood protection. It doesn’t. The Insurance Bureau of Canada recently revealed that severe weather insurance claims shot up 400% from 15 years ago. Most recently, hurricane Fiona tore through Atlantic Canada and left $660 million worth of insured damage in its wake, making it the most expensive severe weather event in the region.

Accessibility, economic strategy emphasized in Indigenous relations mandate letter

Accessibility, economic strategy emphasized in Indigenous relations mandate letter

Cora Voyageur, a professor of sociology at the University of Calgary whose research interests include First Nations, said there are parts of the letter that piqued her interest, such as one focus on providing communities better access to clean drinking water, but she was disappointed to see no further mention of healthcare needs specific to Indigenous communities, or education.

Houston issues boil water notice after treatment plant power outage

Houston issues boil water notice after treatment plant power outage

Houston schools were closed and some elective surgeries delayed on Monday after a city water treatment plant temporarily lost power and residents were urged to boil water through at least Tuesday. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said he expects to hear from the state environmental agency by late Monday or early Tuesday morning on if the boil water notice can be rescinded.

U.S. warns California cities to prepare for fourth year of drought

U.S. warns California cities to prepare for fourth year of drought

Federal water managers on Monday urged numerous California cities and industrial users to prepare for a fourth dry year, warning of possible "conservation actions" as drought conditions continue despite early rains. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said water storage is near historic lows in the reservoirs it operates in the state, which serve the Central Valley breadbasket as well as the cities of Sacramento and San Francisco.

Sault Ste. Marie officially applies to be home of the Canada Water Agency

Sault Ste. Marie officially applies to be home of the Canada Water Agency

This past week, representatives from the Sault officially applied to become the site of the Canada Water Agency. Mayor Matthew Shoemaker said he is confident the city's bid will be successful. “We’re located right here in the middle of the Great Lakes on the gathering place between Lake Huron and Lake Superior and a short drive or short boat ride away in some cases from Lake Michigan,” Shoemaker said. “When you think water in Canada, freshwater specifically, Sault Ste. Marie is at the heart of it all.”

Vet college urging pet owners to be mindful of potentially deadly bacteria

Vet college urging pet owners to be mindful of potentially deadly bacteria

Another preventative measure is to ensure dogs don't drink from water that has been standing for extended periods, which could potentially be contaminated. "Specifically in the fall, we see generally in this region we see an increase in dogs testing positive, becoming sick with lepto," Stull said.

First OnSite’s Mandeville says planning essential one year after Abbotsford flood

First OnSite’s Mandeville says planning essential one year after Abbotsford flood

When the Trans-Canada Highway was washed out by flooding last November, First OnSite Restoration Ltd.’s Jim Mandeville had to fly into Abbotsford to help with disaster relief. “This was a first. It’s something that we really hadn’t considered as part of a flood,” Mandeville, senior vice-president of large loss, said about the damage to one of Canada’s most important roadways. “That certainly made things a bit more difficult, because a lot of heavy equipment, a lot of resources that come into and out of the Lower Mainland have to go across that Trans-Canada Highway.”

Wastewater study shows COVID levels are down in Saskatoon, but up in North Battleford

Wastewater study shows COVID levels are down in Saskatoon, but up in North Battleford

COVID-19 viral loads in wastewater are up in North Battleford, Sask., but down in Saskatoon, the most recent data from the University of Saskatchewan shows. Since the summer of 2020, a group of researchers from the U of S have analyzed wastewater samples from Saskatoon, North Battleford and Prince Albert in search of traces of the COVID-19 virus. However, data is not available from Prince Albert this week because researchers only received one sample from the city's wastewater, which was delivered late, according to an email from wastewater project manager Femi Oloye.

Canada invests to help reduce flood risks and protect critical infrastructure in Selkirk

Canada invests to help reduce flood risks and protect critical infrastructure in Selkirk

Today, Terry Duguid, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South, and His Worship Larry Johannson, Mayor of the City of Selkirk, announced a federal investment of $5,920,000 to build infrastructure that will help prevent flooding in Selkirk. The new Storm Water Management Capacity Building Program consists of three projects that will protect homes, businesses, roads, and essential infrastructure in Selkirk. The construction of a west end storm retention pond in the new development planned west of Annie Street and south of Manitoba Avenue will serve to capture storm water to reduce the risk of overland flooding during heavy rainstorms and snowmelt runoff each spring.

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