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

Gull Lake

Receding water levels a concern for Gull Lake, Alta.

Receding water levels a concern for Gull Lake, Alta.

Residents of Gull Lake, Alta., are concerned about drastically receding water levels and are trying to come up with creative solutions to refill the popular lake. Keith Nesbitt has lived in Gull Lake since 2007 but has been coming to the lake recreationally since the ’80s. As a director with the lake’s watershed society, he’s concerned about how much the water levels have dropped this year. “You can look at the beach here and you can see what’s happened to it. The boats are out even further. It’s getting critical, we have to do something with the lake,” he said.

Water level at Gull Lake acceptable

Water level at Gull Lake acceptable

Town of Kirkland Lake officials say while the water level of Gull Lake is at an extremely low level, they feel there is nothing to be concerned about. Responding to a question from Councillor Casey Owens, a staff report states “the water level in Gull Lake does fluctuate up to half a meter in a typical year. It is acknowledged that the current level is noticeably lower than usual, however it remains within the operating range established when the Kirkland Lake Water Treatment Plant was first constructed.

Follow us