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.
When Cyrielle Noël learned how to swim at the age of two, it was the start of a lifelong love of water and fascination with the waterways that surround the island of Montreal. That curiosity helped spawn a career in urban planning with a specific focus on the use of marine spaces. Noël works for Ocean Bridge, an organization that connects youths and young professionals across Canada and encourages them to create projects aimed at ocean conservation.
Planning on attending Osheaga in Montreal this summer? Bring along a reusable water bottle and fill it up as often as you'd like — for free. You can do that now thanks to a local marine biologist and her determination to keep plastic out of the oceans. This summer, Rachel Labbé-Bellas is unveiling her new water-refill stations at the summer festival — water-refill stations she's dubbed The Green Stop, designed to discourage people from using single-use plastic bottles and inspire environmental awareness.
