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

Blue Flag

2023 Summer Swim: List of Ontario’s Blue Flag Certified Beaches & Marinas

2023 Summer Swim: List of Ontario’s Blue Flag Certified Beaches & Marinas

The Blue Flag is one of the world’s most well-recognized eco-labels, and to qualify, a beach must meet and continue to maintain a series of environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria. Regular spot checks of water quality are conducted throughout the season. The Blue Flag program in Canada is administered by Swim Drink Fish. Theodore TOO Tugboat, a reproduction of the original TV character Theodore Tugboat from the beloved CBC series “Theodore Tugboat,” collaborates with Swim Drink Fish to help collect water samples during its journey across Ontario.

22 beaches, 10 marinas recognized for being the cleanest and safest in Canada in 2022

22 beaches, 10 marinas recognized for being the cleanest and safest in Canada in 2022

The cleanest and safest beaches and marinas in Canada have been named in a new list of locations to earn a Blue Flag in 2022. Twenty-two beaches and 10 marinas have earned a Blue Flag designation, an international award given to community waterfronts that meet high environmental, safety and cleanliness standards. Registered charity Swim Drink Fish has been the Canadian operator for Blue Flag International since 2020. It helps national beaches or marinas interested in receiving the award through encouraging community engagement and management practices.

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