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.
Warm weather that melted snow and rain over the weekend has weakened ice on local waterways, including the Grand River, which could lead to ice jams and unexpected flooding, the Grand River Conservation Authority warns. There is an increased "potential for rapidly changing conditions" on local waterways, the authority said in a flood watch message Monday.
The Township of Mapleton’s water operator has defended their operation as safe but accepted some improvements can be made to the system. The Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA), the largest water and wastewater operator in Canada, delegated to Mapleton council Tuesday evening to clarify some findings from a recent meeting. OCWA is the operator of Mapleton’s water systems as well as nearby Wellington North, Shelburne and Grand Valley among other municipalities.
