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

Nunavik

Lack of clean water in Nunavik means schools are closing, staff fleeing

Lack of clean water in Nunavik means schools are closing, staff fleeing

Dozens of employees at primary and secondary schools in Nunavik are sounding the alarm about the region's deteriorating water supply, saying the situation is putting their students at risk, a union report seen by Radio-Canada shows. Thirteen of the 14 towns in Nunavik don't have an aqueduct or sewer system. People there normally rely on tanker trucks to supply drinking water and remove wastewater. But in recent months there have been supply interruptions because of broken infrastructure, a lack of trucks and a worker shortage, problems that were worsened by the pandemic and a harsh winter last year.

No water, no school: How water delivery issues disrupt learning for Inuit children in Nunavik

No water, no school: How water delivery issues disrupt learning for Inuit children in Nunavik

Once every week or two, Elom Akpo runs out of the principal's office at Tarsakallak School in Aupaluk, Que., jumps into the school truck and cruises the streets of the village, looking for a water delivery truck. This wasn't part of the job description when Akpo took up his duties as principal last January, but it's what he does to keep the only school in the village of 233 open. Tarsakallak School routinely runs out of water. If its reservoirs are not filled before they run dry, Akpo has to send all 60 or so students home.

After all 3 water trucks in Kangiqsualujjuaq broke down, community rallied with pickup trucks

After all 3 water trucks in Kangiqsualujjuaq broke down, community rallied with pickup trucks

Many smaller communities rely solely on water trucks to deliver clean water to home. So when the trucks break down, it becomes a headache and even a crisis. That was the case for Kangiqsualujjuaq, Nunavik, in northern Quebec, where recently, all three water trucks broke down and were in disrepair for almost three weeks. "It was a difficult thing because all the water trucks were broken plus all the parts were being backordered from the company we ordered parts from," said Mayor David Annanack, adding that COVID-19 was also causing an issue at the factories where they get parts.

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