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.
Growing up, I was always surrounded by the serene beauty of lakes. From family picnics by the shores of Lake Ontario to my first canoeing experience in the pristine waters of Lake Louise, lakes have been an integral part of my identity. Their vastness, depth, and the life they support have always fascinated me. Today, I invite you on a journey to explore some of the most interesting facts about Canadian lakes, interwoven with personal memories and reflections.
Some of the most spectacular lakes in the world call Canada home. In fact, Canada has more lake area coverage than any other country. For example, 563 lakes in the country span over 40 square miles. Furthermore, fresh bodies of water cover eight percent of Canada’s landmass. Therefore, not only do these lakes provide a source of fresh water, but they also bring in a lot of tourism with their recreational activities. However, these lakes also serve an abundance of wildlife, including snakes. So, below is a list of the most snake-infested lakes in Canada.
In addition, the On-Farm Applied Research and Monitoring (ONFARM) program will be expanded and enhanced by an additional $7 million over five years. This program is a continuation from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership and will help farmers understand and communicate best on-farm practices to address and improve their soil health and water quality.
Corey Adkins, 52, communication and content director of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, said the crossing will raise awareness of the Great Lakes. He has followed the group and produced documentaries on their work. Problems on the Great Lakes vary from algal blooms to microplastics, he said. "They are all in trouble in one form or another," he said. "What these guys do is bring awareness of the problems of each lake. The mission that these guys are on is very important."
The conviction against SGS Canada Inc. is for permitting the discharge of a petroleum product into a watercourse which may impair the quality of the water. The conviction against Imperial Oil Limited is for failing to forthwith notify the ministry of the discharge that may impair the quality of the water of any waters.
Local and federal officials are cautiously optimistic construction will be underway this spring for a water pipeline to serve the Oneida Nation of the Thames in southwestern Ontario. The pipeline, still in the design phase, is expected to be 18 kilometres long and connect the First Nation community with clean drinking water through the Lake Huron Water Supply System.
A state of emergency remains in effect for the Oneida Nation of the Thames as water levels have fluctuated from critically low to extremely high in a “very short time frame.” Oneida officials first declared a state of emergency on Dec. 15, 2022, after an “all-time low water level was recorded in the community’s water tower,” its main source of water. Community members were asked to cease all non-essential water use over the holiday period.
Tourists visiting Niagara Falls Christmas Day saw the honourary 8th wonder of the world sporting a new look - the water had turned brown. In a tweet, ECCC Canada said the water looked "chocolate," but you wouldn't want to drink the water roaring down the falls. The temporary makeover was due to winds up to 110 km/h sweeping over Lake Erie for two days prior, coupled with harsh, 9-metre waves that churned debris. So while some of the colour was due to rocks, sand, and other natural pieces of debris some was due to storm sewer backwash emptying into the Niagara River and Fort Erie, Insauga reports.
Environmental experts say the Ford government's proposal to build thousands of homes in parts of the Greenbelt while adding other protected land elsewhere will cause a host of ecological problems. Last Friday, the provincial government announced a proposal to build 50,000 new homes in some areas that are now part of the Greenbelt, and add 9,400 acres of protected land elsewhere. Premier Doug Ford says it's all part of the province's plan to tackle the housing crisis by building 1.5 million homes over the next decade — as the federal government pledges to start bringing in half a million immigrants a year.
Lifelong Cleveland resident Steve Gove recalls when the Cuyahoga River symbolized shame — fetid, lifeless, notorious for catching fire when sparks from overhead rail cars ignited the oil-slicked surface. “It was pretty grungy,” said the 73-year-old, an avid canoeist in his youth who sometimes braved the filthy stretch through the steelmaking city. “When you went under those bridges where the trains were hauling coke from the blast furnaces, you had to watch for cinders and debris falling off.” It wasn’t the only polluted U.S. river. But outrage over a 1969 Cuyahoga fire — the latest in a series of environmental disasters including a 3-million-gallon oil spill off California’s Santa Barbara months earlier — is widely credited with inspiring the Clean Water Act of 1972.
In 2018, faced with a rise in toxic algal blooms that threatened the health of Lake Erie, Ottawa and Queen’s Park released the Canada-Ontario Lake Erie Action Plan, pledging to reduce levels of phosphorus in the lake by 40 per cent within seven years. Since then, says Michelle Woodhouse, water program manager with Environmental Defence, little has happened. “We were supposed to receive an update from the province in 2020 about how we were doing so far. We never received one,” Woodhouse said, noting a new “interim update” on efforts to slow nutrient runoff into the lake has been promised for next year.
In 2018, faced with a rise in toxic algal blooms that threatened the health of Lake Erie, Ottawa and Queen’s Park released the Canada-Ontario Lake Erie Action Plan, pledging to reduce levels of phosphorus in the lake by 40 per cent within seven years. Since then, says Michelle Woodhouse, water program manager with Environmental Defence, little has happened.
Heading to the beach? You’ll want to stay out of the water at Lake Erie, Long, Nelles, Sherkston Quarry, Sunset and Waverly as of Aug. 10 at 3 p.m. Here’s the latest beach water quality report from Niagara Region Public Health: Bernard Avenue Beach in Fort Erie (1 Bernard Avenue) tested safe for swimming on August 4.
Essex residents may now use water outdoors. The announcement comes four days after residents were banned from using water outside due to "extreme weather events on the shores of Lake Erie" which caused "a significant reduction in water level." In a press release, the Town of Essex stated that following an assessment of the community's current water supply, "the Harrow and Colchester South water treatment tower and reservoirs are being steadily replenished and approaching standard supply levels."
The Great Lakes cover nearly 95,000 square miles (250,000 square kilometers) and hold over 20% of Earth's surface fresh water. More than 30 million people in the U.S. and Canada rely on them for drinking water. The lakes support a multibillion-dollar maritime economy, and the lands around them provided many of the raw materials—timber, coal, iron—that fueled the Midwest's emergence as an industrial heartland.
Since 2019, David Piano has used his considerable photography skills to document soil erosion along Lake Erie's north shore. Focusing on a stretch of almost 200 kilometres of lakefront from Port Burwell to Wheatley, he's captured images of crumbling cliffs and cottages swallowed by lake water eating away at the shore. Lake Erie's soil erosion problem isn't new. For years, property owners have been lobbying governments and spending thousands to combat erosion that threatens buildings, many of them seasonal cottages that have been in families for decades.
The majesty that is Niagara Falls has had its, well, less majestic moments over the past two centuries. In fact, twice the falls have dried up completely – once stopped by nature and the second time 120 years later, it was stopped by man. Way back on March 30, 1848, the falls went down to a trickle, leaving local American and Canadians citizens on both sides puzzled. Given the limited technology and means of communication at the time – Alexander Graham Bell didn’t invent the telephone until 1876 – no one knew why it simply stopped.
The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing $2.58 million to protect the province’s lakes and water sources by helping farmers implement sustainable farming practices that build more resilient farm operations. Through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (the Partnership), the final Lake Erie Agriculture Demonstrating Sustainability (LEADS) initiative intake, will support on-farm projects that improve soil health and reduce the risk of nutrient losses on their farms while improving water quality in the Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair watershed areas.
Mary Anne Caibaiosai completed her four year commitment to walk the length of the Grand River from its source near Dundalk, to the mouth of the river in the Dunnville and Port Maitland area at Lake Erie and then back. The All Nations Grand River Walk started out in 2018. Caibaiosai started out leading a core group of people that grew to a larger group for the two week journey that September. Each year, more people have joined the walk where they've met people in various communities who wanted to know more about what the group was doing.
If you notice an off odour or discolouration to the water coming out of your taps, the City of London says not to worry. "The City assures residents that the water continues to be safe and meets all health standards," reads a release from the City issued Monday afternoon. Properties in southeast London could be affected by issues with water coming from Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes the local drinking water is sourced.
