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

Canada Water Agency headquarters

Sault loses bid to host Canada Water Agency headquarters

Sault loses bid to host Canada Water Agency headquarters

Sault Ste. Marie’s pitch to host the new Canada Water Agency was not successful. A tiny few lines in Thursday’s federal budget under the heading Protecting Our Freshwater awarded the new agency to Winnipeg. The 2023 federal budget proposes to inject $85.1 million over five years to support the creation of the Canada Water Agency, “which will be headquartered in Winnipeg.” “By the end of 2023, the government will introduce legislation that will fully establish the Canada Water Agency as a standalone entity,” the document reads. The announcement comes just one week after World Water Day, on March 22. Ward 5 Coun. Corey Gardi, who led the charge to have the agency located here, said he was disappointed.

Sault Ste. Marie makes bid for Canada Water Agency

Sault Ste. Marie makes bid for Canada Water Agency

Sault Ste. Marie wants to be the home for a new federal government agency that could create at least 100 full-time jobs in the community. The city is making the case that it would be the ideal location for the new Canada Water Agency, which would improve freshwater management across the country. Kathleen Heymans, the city's business development manager, said the agency would expand on existing expertise built around freshwater management in Sault Ste. Marie.

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