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

Niagara River

Niagara Falls turned brown on Christmas Day

Niagara Falls turned brown on Christmas Day

Tourists visiting Niagara Falls Christmas Day saw the honourary 8th wonder of the world sporting a new look - the water had turned brown. In a tweet, ECCC Canada said the water looked "chocolate," but you wouldn't want to drink the water roaring down the falls. The temporary makeover was due to winds up to 110 km/h sweeping over Lake Erie for two days prior, coupled with harsh, 9-metre waves that churned debris. So while some of the colour was due to rocks, sand, and other natural pieces of debris some was due to storm sewer backwash emptying into the Niagara River and Fort Erie, Insauga reports.

‘Without water, none of us would be here’: Great Lakes protection project kicks off in Niagara-on-the-Lake

‘Without water, none of us would be here’: Great Lakes protection project kicks off in Niagara-on-the-Lake

Serendipity seemed to strike the participants in an Indigenous water ceremony in Niagara-on-the-Lake, held by the Niagara River — the ceremony kicking off a project that's all about just how important water is for us all. As participants raised their voices in song, rain starting falling on them outside the Fort George National Historic Site’s navy hall — which did not go uncommented on by the ceremony’s leader, Linda Manitowabi of Wiikwemkoong First Nation.

Sewage pours into Niagara River from troubled U.S. treatment plant

Sewage pours into Niagara River from troubled U.S. treatment plant

According to disturbing reports out of Niagara Falls, New York, millions of gallons of untreated sewage and other wastewater poured into the Lower Niagara River this past weekend during a power outage and pump failure. The Buffalo News reports that Niagara Falls’ problematic wastewater treatment system failed both Saturday and Sunday, according to information provided by a state-automated emergency alert system. Although there was no unusual rainfall in the area lately, wet weather and pump failure were given as the reasons that six millions gallons of untreated wastewater went into the river on Saturday.

Surfing Santa hits the water Dec. 23 in Fort Erie

Surfing Santa hits the water Dec. 23 in Fort Erie

For nearly four decades, Fulton has been entertaining crowds with his yearly windsurfing venture, which he does dressed in full Santa garb. It was never meant to be a big event, but an accident during his inaugural run ended up making headlines around the world. “I was doing a little promotional stunt dressed as Santa when the mainline snapped, so I lost control and drifted across the river,” recalled Fulton. When he was picked up on the other side by border agents, he was asked for his passport, which of course he didn’t have since he never meant to cross the border. The story, that Santa was picked up by border guards and shipped back to Canada, made for good Christmas headline fodder for newspapers, and the legend of Surfing Santa was born.

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