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

Fort Providence

The Mackenzie River is a lot lower than normal. Those who rely on it wonder if it's an anomaly

The Mackenzie River is a lot lower than normal. Those who rely on it wonder if it's an anomaly

Joe Lacorne looks toward the Mackenzie River, a familiar sight for many decades. But the river doesn't look normal. "The water level is really low this year," he said. "It's hard to get around with even boats." Lacorne, who has lived in the tiny hamlet of Fort Providence, N.W.T., for about 60 years, said he keeps an eye on the river for his community. "Spring time, [it's] always like a big rush of snow melting and that's when the water is up high," he said. "But during the summer, we just lost water, just rapidly. Water disappeared."

After catastrophic 2021 flood, N.W.T. communities prepare for spring breakup

After catastrophic 2021 flood, N.W.T. communities prepare for spring breakup

The Dehcho (Mackenzie River) is already moving near Fort Providence, and in the communities of Fort Simpson and Fort Good Hope where the river is still frozen, community members are not waiting for disaster to strike — many have lifted their homes and have begun to move valuables to high ground. Floods in May last year were "the scale of something that just had never been anticipated," said Fort Simpson Mayor Sean Whelly.

The fire truck that's keeping this N.W.T. community's taps running

The fire truck that's keeping this N.W.T. community's taps running

It's probably not how you'd draw up the optimal water intake system. But when a pump at the Fort Providence, N.W.T., water treatment plant broke down in mid-December, local mechanic Cameron Sapp figured his decommissioned fire truck could fill in to do the job. "They come to me looking for a way to pump water," said Sapp, after hamlet crews had struggled to keep up with local water demand for about a week or so. "I gave them a few ideas."

Follow us