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.
Western’s campus is surrounded by natural beauty and through it flows one of the most biodiverse rivers in Canada. This month, the community will have a chance to celebrate the Deshkan Ziibiing (Antler/Thames River) with Riverfest 2022, Western’s first-ever river festival hosted by the Office of Sustainability. The series of events encourage people to reconnect with the river, one of 10 “big moves” outlined in Western’s Open Space Strategy.
