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.
Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks
Sample results are in but the water in Puslinch is still stinky and private well owners are told it is their responsibility to treat their water. “The results show odour causing organics were detected in untreated well water,” said in an update from the Township of Puslinch website with information provided by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP).
An oil spill that started at a home along Ramsey Lake in Sudbury, Ont., has since reached the shoreline, said Public Health Sudbury and Districts. The health unit said in a news release that the spill Jan. 14 started from the fuel oil tank of a home on Gennings Street near the lake. Public health said it immediately alerted the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, as well as people who lived nearby.
Council will examine a $9,002,000 cost for the construction of Wellington’s water storage tank and bulk water filling station – over budget by $992,772. For Tuesday night’s council meeting, a staff report recommends a contract be awarded to the sole bidder, Landmark Structures Co. Garrett Osborne, project manager, notes in his report to council that the number of companies that construct these tanks is limited, so a single bid was not unexpected. In response to concern about low water pressure and the ability to handle future development, capital work reports were brought to council in 2019 for discussion. In the 20-year plan, the cost for water system improvements were estimated at $10-15 million – those costs were expected to be higher now mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain costs. The 1960s water system in Wellington has been modified over the years.
The Northwestern Health Unit is warning people to avoid the water on three lakes in the region due to blue-green algae blooms. One of the blooms is located north of Frog Rapids in Abram Lake, near Sioux Lookout. Water from the area is being tested by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks. The second bloom is in the Bonny Bay Road area of Wabigoon Lake, near Dryden. The health unit said another blue-green algae bloom has already been confirmed on the north end of Wabigoon Lake, so water will not be tested.
