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.
This investment will enable improvements to the water and sewer networks that will increase drinking water quality and allow for better management of wastewater and stormwater in Baker-Brook and Heron Bay. Additional work to close the loop on the water network will be undertaken in the Honoré-Roy area in Saint-Léonard, which will increase water pressure and quality.
"Private contractors will be hired to maintain essential site operations with the majority of their work being water treatment and ongoing monitoring." Chaleur Shotcrete Inc. and Stantec are the primary contractors, the province said Thursday. Brown said ongoing water treatment is required at the Caribou and Restigouche mine sites because water that contacts rock at the locations becomes acidic, something that poses environmental risks if untreated.
From roads and buildings, to water and wastewater systems, reliable infrastructure is key to building stronger communities. Investments in safer and more efficient wastewater treatment helps keep our communities healthy, green and sustainable. Today, Serge Cormier, Member of Parliament for Acadie—Bathurst, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities; the Honourable Gary Crossman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for the Regional Development Corporation; Her Worship Kim Chamberlain, Mayor of the City of Bathurst, His Worship Edgar Aubé, Mayor of the Town of Beresford, and His Worship Maxime Lejeune, Mayor of Pointe-Verte, announced joint funding for improvements to water and wastewater infrastructure in three Northeastern New Brunswick communities.
New Brunswickers can now zoom in to a visual image of their homes, neighbourhoods and communities to see how likely it is that climate change will create a risk of flooding over the next several decades. The provincial government has released a new interactive provincial flood map showing different river and coastal flooding scenarios for today and for 2100.
Moncton plans to spend $6 million this winter to upgrade its water treatment plant, the first phase of a plan to deal with cyanobacteria in the municipal water supply. Cyanobacteria was found in 2017 in the Turtle Creek watershed, the drinking water source for Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview. Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, can form blooms and produce toxins harmful to humans and animals. The water remains safe to drink and the multimillion dollar upgrades are meant to keep it that way.
