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.
Emails between the City of Iqaluit and Nunavut Health department staff show there was a debate over how to respond to the capital's water emergency last year. Some 8,000 Iqaluit residents couldn't drink tap water for nearly two months after it was found to be contaminated with fuel. Trace amounts of fuel were also found in January when residents again reported smelling it in the water.
