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.
About a year after the Quebec government released a report on the levels of lead in the drinking water in schools, some school boards have yet to make all the necessary repairs. Among the reasons cited for the delays are government financing issues, labour shortages at plumbing and water testing companies, difficulty procuring parts and the pandemic.
In 2019, the Quebec government asked public and private educational institutions to analyze the concentration of lead in drinking water using portable devices called "Kemio Heavy Metals." OCQ president, Michel Alsayegh, deplored the use of this type of device, citing "a significant risk of false negatives, which is worrisome for the health of children and staff." "As early as 2019, when we met with the office of the Minister of Education, we had expressed doubts about the reliability of the results with this type of instrument," said Alsayegh in an interview with The Canadian Press.
