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

Mi'kmaq

Federal government, Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq sign housing agreement

Federal government, Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq sign housing agreement

A new agreement between the federal government and the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq in Nova Scotia will allow Mi’kmaw First Nations to manage and control their housing and infrastructure. "Since 2015, we have been working in a nation-to-nation partnership with Indigenous Peoples to advance self-determination,” said Patty Hajdu, minister of Indigenous Services. “Whether for water and health or housing and infrastructure, Indigenous communities must have the tools to decide for themselves. Today is an important step on this journey.”

A Mi’kmaq community’s fears of toxic water recede as Northern Pulp mill winds down

A Mi’kmaq community’s fears of toxic water recede as Northern Pulp mill winds down

For decades, Pictou Landing First Nation has lived uneasily near an industrial plant emitting brown, foul-smelling waste and the effluent treatment facility they say causes respiratory and skin illnesses. Now, the mill is being mothballed. Ms. Francis, a member of Pictou Landing First Nation, fought for years to stop toxic wastewater from the Northern Pulp plant from being pumped into a tidal estuary next to her community. After decades of court battles, environmental studies and protests, people on the Nova Scotia reserve are hopeful they may one day be able trust their water and land again.

First Nations-owned water authority pitched to fix chronic drinking water issue

First Nations-owned water authority pitched to fix chronic drinking water issue

Two Indigenous groups in the Atlantic region, the Mi'kmaq and Wolastoqiyik, are pitching a First Nations owned water authority to the federal government and First Nations. "We want to be able, at the end of the day, to turn on the tap and drink a glass of water," said Pictou Landing First Nation Chief Andrea Paul, one of the three current board members for the Atlantic First Nations Water Authority (AFNWA). "Some communities can't do that," she said.

Pulp mill 'at risk,' CEO says after N.S. review of contentious wastewater plan

Pulp mill 'at risk,' CEO says after N.S. review of contentious wastewater plan

The future of a Nova Scotia pulp mill remained uncertain Friday as the province asked for more work on its contentious proposal to pipe 85 million litres of its treated wastewater into the Northumberland Strait. The Northern Pulp paper mill has become a flashpoint, with its plan to pump waste into rich fishing grounds pitting forest industry workers against fishermen, environmentalists and even the P.E.I. government — which opposes the plan due to concerns over the impact on lobster harvesting.

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