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

Nova Scotia Power

Fishery shut because Nova Scotia Power using all the water, Gaspereau fishermen say

Fishery shut because Nova Scotia Power using all the water, Gaspereau fishermen say

Peter Croft, a director of the Gaspereau Squarenet Fishermen’s Association, said that the low water levels are caused by a combination of Nova Scotia Power’s operation of a hydroelectric dam upstream and a combination of low snowfall during the winter and little spring rain. “In the fall and winter (Nova Scotia Power) actually drains the lakes fairly low, generating power,” said Croft. “What they hope for is to recoup water by snowmelt or heavy rains before we fish in the spring. They did all the draining this year but then we didn’t get enough water back (from rain and snowmelt).”

Final bill for runaway Nova Scotia Power hydro project still months away

Final bill for runaway Nova Scotia Power hydro project still months away

Nova Scotia Power says it will take at least another five months for it to submit the final bill to complete an ill-fated refurbishment of the Tusket hydro electricity dam in Yarmouth County. The project is already three years behind schedule with costs still unclear and revised construction plans still needing environmental permits. The last cost estimate was $36 million — twice the amount approved by regulators in 2019. The dam site in southwestern Nova Scotia has been plagued by water leaking into the construction zone.

Nova Scotia Power's Tusket dam refurbishment swallows another $2M

Nova Scotia Power's Tusket dam refurbishment swallows another $2M

Nova Scotia Power burned through another $2.2 million from ratepayers late last year at its ill-fated refurbishment of the Tusket hydro dam near Yarmouth, N.S. The disclosure of contingency spending during the last three months of 2021 was ordered by the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board after the company told the regulator on Jan. 31 it was halting work yet again due to water seepage. The company filed its contingency spending to meet a Feb. 23 deadline imposed by the regulator.

NSP suspends plan to charge ratepayers $18M for dam cost overruns

NSP suspends plan to charge ratepayers $18M for dam cost overruns

Nova Scotia Power has suspended its application to charge ratepayers $18 million for cost overruns on an ill-fated hydro dam as water migration at the construction site persists. The utility said it is not clear yet what impact continued water infiltration will have on the replacement of the small dam at Tusket near Yarmouth. Unexpected water seepage has already doubled the cost to $36 million and pushed the project three years behind schedule.

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