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

City of Saskatoon

Invasive goldfish proliferating in Saskatoon storm ponds

Invasive goldfish proliferating in Saskatoon storm ponds

The City of Saskatoon is battling an invasive species in its storm ponds. More than 450 kilograms, or 1,000 pounds, of invasive goldfish of various sizes were collected from three different storm ponds in the city last week. "If you're standing on the edge of the pond on a sunny day, you can often quite easily see the large numbers of goldfish," said Brodie Thompson, an engineering manager with the city. Thompson said goldfish are an "adaptable and tenacious" species, making them difficult to get rid of.

Saskatoon cleaning up after heavy rain hammers city

Saskatoon cleaning up after heavy rain hammers city

The City of Saskatoon is cleaning up after as much as 75 millimetres of rain fell in some areas on Monday, leading to flooded streets and properties. The city said Tuesday that crews had worked overnight to address flooded roadways. Crews popped manhole covers to release water that had hit the city's south, north and east sides especially hard. A news release said that the majority of the city had been cleared by Tuesday morning, except for areas in the southeast that still had barricades for driver and pedestrian safety. The city said those barricades should be removed by the end of the day.

Saskatoon has a lot to celebrate during Canada Water Week

Saskatoon has a lot to celebrate during Canada Water Week

The City of Saskatoon is joining the country in celebrating Canada Water Week which runs for the week of March 21 to 27. Canada Water Week is a national celebration of water that is held annually to coincide with World Water Day on March 22. “Saskatoon has a lot to celebrate and be proud of when it comes to our water. Not only does our city have one of the highest quality water supplies in North America, but right now we have several projects in motion to ensure we continue to deliver a high quality and safe drinking water product,” said Saskatoon Water Interim Director Pam Hamoline.

Saskatoon residents still cleaning up after sewage water backed up in their homes

Saskatoon residents still cleaning up after sewage water backed up in their homes

Penny Fentiman is one of several Saskatoon homeowners in the middle of a major cleanup after houses in the Montgomery Place neighbourhood were recently hit with a deluge of backed-up wastewater. Sewage water first seeped into Fentiman's home Friday morning and then again shortly before midnight. It's the second time wastewater has flooded her home on the 3400 block of 11th Street in the past five years. The City of Saskatoon said the latest incident was due to a pair of sewer blockages, which forced them to shut off water to homes in the area. The issues have since been resolved and the water turned back on — but Fentiman is concerned it's a Band-Aid solution and that it could be several years before the city implements a long-term solution.

Sask. researchers continue to see downward trends in COVID-19 wastewater testing

Sask. researchers continue to see downward trends in COVID-19 wastewater testing

The most recent COVID-19 wastewater study from the University of Saskatchewan shows a drop in the amount of COVID-19 virus in sewage samples taken from Saskatoon, North Battleford and Prince Albert. The Global Institute for Water Security's report released Monday afternoon showed a decrease of 55.8 per cent in viral RNA (Ribonucleic acid) in Prince Albert's wastewater samples compared to the previous reporting period. The most recent testing period for the city was from Nov. 16 through Nov. 22.

City of Saskatoon sues 2 companies over Aspen Ridge water contamination

City of Saskatoon sues 2 companies over Aspen Ridge water contamination

The City of Saskatoon has suffered more than $1 million in losses and damages due to water contamination in the Aspen Ridge neighbourhood, a lawsuit alleges. From Jan. 10 to Sept. 14, a “do not use” water advisory was in effect for 19 addresses in the Aspen Ridge subdivision. A black, petroleum-based substance, known as hydrocarbons, surfaced in fire hydrants in the area in December 2016.

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