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.
Metro Vancouver Regional District
Provincial health officials are warning owners of private drinking-water wells in flooded sections the Fraser Valley Regional District, and the Metro Vancouver Regional District, that their wells may be at increased risk of contamination. “This is due to potential overflow or failures of liquid-manure storage systems because of high precipitation caused by recent storms,” according to the Dec. 5 news release from Ministry of Health.
The contract to build the new wastewater treatment plant in North Vancouver, B.C., will be terminated, according to the regional district in charge of the project, but the building company says it's still working on it. The head of the Metro Vancouver Regional District says it lost confidence in Acciona, the contractor company, after long construction delays and a rising price tag. Jerry Dobrovolny, chief administrative officer for the regional district, says the cost has risen double the original estimate of $500 million.
