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.
The New Brunswick government plans to open a public health laboratory in Moncton by 2024 at a cost of about $10 million. Health Minister Dorothy Shephard announced the plan Wednesday morning with work expected to begin this fall. "The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the need for New Brunswick to have its own provincial public health laboratory to ensure a dedicated public health response," Shephard said.
