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.
A City of Ottawa task force is monitoring water levels ahead of the spring thaw and says there's no major flooding in the immediate forecast — but that could change in the weeks ahead. Water levels are currently normal or close to normal, according to the joint Thursday memo from public works general manager Alain Gonthier and Kim Ayotte, general manager of emergency and protective services.
Beachgoers in the Ottawa region have hardly had to avoid the water this summer after weeks of E. coli testing showing low levels in the city's monitored beaches. Katy Alambo, a biologist with Ottawa Riverkeeper, says that while it's difficult to predict a trend from summer to summer, this season is shaping up to be much better than last. "So far, so good. The majority of the beaches have been testing really well," Alambo said.
