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.
The B.C. government is asking people in the Thompson-Okanagan region to reduce their water use by 30 per cent during ongoing drought conditions in many parts of the southern and central Interior. The province said Thursday in a written statement very low spring rainfall and extreme heat conditions in June and July have caused water scarcity and low flows.
While some parts of British Columbia could see a raindrop or two this week the warm temperatures and sunny skies dominating the forecast for most of the province do not bode well for flora and fauna already fighting drought conditions. According to the province's Drought and Water Scarcity Response Plan, which was last updated in May, drought conditions are classified on a scale of one to five. The Kettle River and Salmon River basins in the Interior are currently hovering at Level 4, as is east Vancouver Island.
