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

Erin

BlueTriton bottling remains sustainable despite dry year, says company

BlueTriton bottling remains sustainable despite dry year, says company

While 2022 was the driest year since water bottling companies began monitoring, BlueTriton consultants and officials maintained the company’s water taking for bottling purposes is sustainable. BlueTriton, the conglomerate who purchased Nestle Waters Canada’s operations in 2021, held a sparsely-attended in-person meeting Thursday morning at the Puslinch Community Centre going over 2022 annual monitoring reports for its wells in Aberfoyle and Erin where it has permits to take water for bottling purposes.

Province grants Blue Triton 5-year permit renewals for water bottling

Province grants Blue Triton 5-year permit renewals for water bottling

The province has renewed the operating permits of Triton Water Canada Holdings Inc. for five years at its water bottling sites in Aberfoyle and Erin. The sites were formerly owned by Nestlé Waters Canada for years before they sold it earlier this year. The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks announced the permits on Monday. A moratorium on new water taking permits was lifted in April. The new permits allows BlueTriton to take 1.1 million litres of water per day from the Erin location and 3.6 million litres a day from its Aberfoyle location. Despite concerns raised over water extraction permits for years by local community members and environment activists who believe the removal of water could have detrimental effects to the local water supply, the province says otherwise.

Erin council awards water distribution model to WSP Canada Inc. for $162,872

Erin council awards water distribution model to WSP Canada Inc. for $162,872

Town council has approved a bid from a company to construct a model for its water infrastructure project. Council voted in favour of directing staff to accept a bid from WSP Canada Inc. for the development and calibration of a water distribution system model for $162,872. The bid was significantly higher than the one submitted by Triton, something Mayor Allan Alls noted. “I must admit, when I first saw the difference in money, I was concerned,” Alls said. “When you read the report, you see Triton wasn’t offering all the services that WSP was offering.”

Nestle sells Pure Life bottled water business as changes to Ontario groundwater rules loom

Nestle sells Pure Life bottled water business as changes to Ontario groundwater rules loom

Nestle Canada Inc. says it is selling its Pure Life bottled water business to Ice River Springs as Ontario prepares to give its municipalities veto power over new water bottling permits. The sale for an undisclosed price is expected to close in the third quarter and is contingent on regulator approval. The sale includes two factories located in Puslinch, Ont., and Hope, B.C., along with a well in Erin, Ont.

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