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.
In her new documentary “There’s Something in the Water”, co-directed by Ian Daniel, the actress and activist focuses on the effects of environmental racism on black and indigenous communities in Nova Scotia. “In Canada, your postal code determines your health,” sociologist Ingrid Waldron says in the trailer for the film. “So we know that where you live has bearing on your well-being. Indigenous and black communities are the ones that tend to be located near hazardous sites.”
Ellen Page made the town council of Shelburne, N.S., an offer they couldn't refuse. The Nova Scotia-born actor, filmmaker and activist had been pledging financial support to help a non-profit group in the South Shore town build a community well. But at a recent council meeting, elected officials turned down Page's offer amid concerns it wouldn't be enough to cover the cost of the project at a time when the town is facing a crippling financial position that could see the end of its status as a municipality. hat decision did not deter Page. "She just stepped up and she just said, 'Well, I'll pay whatever they want,'" said Louise Delisle, whose community group, South End Environmental Injustice Society, has pushed for the well.
