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 Town of Mattawa is moving the August water bill to September. Revenue Services Clerk Amy Leclerc noted that without the change, the current by-law could “put undue hardship on the ratepayers,” and “we feel that it’s important to change the final water billing to September.” This past February, council adopted the 2023 water rates with a new by-law, and within that law, the water and wastewater bills for both flat rate bills and metered bills, both share the same deadline – August 31.
Minor flooding in the Town of Mattawa, combined with steadily rising water levels, prompted Mayor Raymond Belanger to declare a state of emergency Tuesday. In a statement, the town said that water levels are expected to continue rising until they reach a peak of about 154.6 metres. “The Town of Mattawa put a plan in place,” the statement said.
Heavy rain in the forecast this weekend is expected to cause water levels to rise along the Ottawa River and the Rideau River watershed. However, officials don't expect excessive flooding along the Ottawa River this spring. Environment Canada is calling for 15 to 25 millimetres of rain in Ottawa on Friday, with more rain in the forecast on Sunday.
