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.
Members of Alberta's Hindu community are asking the City of Calgary to provide a designated spot along the banks of the Bow River to scatter the ashes of loved ones, in line with their faith. It's traditional in Hinduism and other religions, including Sikhism, for ashes to be placed into flowing water after a cremation. Similar riverside spaces for the ritual have been provided around the world in cities that have large Hindu communities.
