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

Kitimat

Coastal GasLink Faces More Water Pollution Concerns

Coastal GasLink Faces More Water Pollution Concerns

Coastal GasLink is facing more criticism over water-quality concerns as a result of construction on its 670-kilometre pipeline through northern B.C., this time in the western portion of the route near Kitimat. On Feb. 19, the company received an order from B.C.’s Environmental Assessment Office for allowing sediment to flow into a watercourse where its pipeline right-of-way crosses the South Hirsch Forest Service Road, just east of Kitimat. The order requiring the company to prevent sediment-laden water from entering watercourse comes days after the company was fined $72,500 for similar violations that have repeatedly been identified along the pipeline route.

B.C. First Nations plan to appeal Nechako River ruling rejecting injunction to restore natural flows

B.C. First Nations plan to appeal Nechako River ruling rejecting injunction to restore natural flows

Two First Nations say they will appeal parts of a British Columbia Supreme Court ruling released last month that rejected their bid for an injunction to restore the natural flows of the Nechako River. The river in central B.C. has been diverted for 70 years to generate hydroelectricity for mining giant Rio Tinto's aluminum division and the province's power grid. The Saik'uz and Stellat'en First Nations announced Thursday they plan to bring a "limited appeal'' of the Jan. 7 ruling, asking the higher court to order the restoration of flows for the Nechako that would re-establish "the natural functions of the river.''

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