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

Public Health Agency of Canada

Canada to continue testing wastewater for COVID-19 spread

Canada to continue testing wastewater for COVID-19 spread

Although the COVID-19 spread is no longer an ongoing pandemic in the eyes of the World Health Organization, the federal government will still be monitoring potential spread rates through waste water. Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced that the Public Health Agency of Canada is partnering with the Canadian Water Network to monitor Canadian wastewater. Duclos said in a statement how this national wastewater surveillance program will help keep Canadians healthy through guidance materials and wastewater data.

Saint John dropped from national COVID-19 wastewater monitoring site over data accuracy concerns

Saint John dropped from national COVID-19 wastewater monitoring site over data accuracy concerns

Saint John has been temporarily removed from the national COVID-19 wastewater surveillance dashboard over concerns about the accuracy of its data. Public Health Agency of Canada officials believe "the sampling point and treatment of the sample prior to testing was the origin of the test variance," said spokesperson Anna Maddison. This suggests "the reported values are not reflective of the community burden," said spokesperson Nicholas Janveau.

COVID-19 surged in Fredericton over holidays, new wastewater data reveals

COVID-19 surged in Fredericton over holidays, new wastewater data reveals

Fredericton had a surge of COVID-19 just after the holidays, newly released wastewater data indicates. The capital was added to the Public Health Agency of Canada's COVID-19 wastewater surveillance dashboard Tuesday night, joining Moncton as the second New Brunswick location on the national website launched nine months ago. Data dating back to Dec. 22 shows Fredericton's seven-day rolling average of viral load, expressed as the number of viral gene copies found in a millilitre of raw sewage, started out at 17 copies/ml.

Vaccine-derived polio virus detected in 2 Canadian wastewater samples

Vaccine-derived polio virus detected in 2 Canadian wastewater samples

After initiating its own wastewater testing for polio last year, Canada has detected two samples of vaccine-derived polio virus type 2 (VDPV2). According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)'s epidemiological update released on Dec. 30, 2022, the virus strain was found in two wastewater samples collected between Aug. 20 and Aug. 30 2022.

Canada to start testing some wastewater for polio 'as soon as possible'

Canada to start testing some wastewater for polio 'as soon as possible'

After new reports of polio cases abroad, and virus samples in the wastewater of several other developed countries, Canada intends to start testing wastewater from a number of cities "as soon as possible," CBC News has learned. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) already works to monitor polio activity around the world, a spokesperson said in an email response to CBC News questions.

Winnipeg wastewater testing reveals mixed picture of COVID transmission in early March

Winnipeg wastewater testing reveals mixed picture of COVID transmission in early March

Wastewater testing for the virus that causes COVID-19 reveals a mixed picture of the way the disease may have been circulating in Winnipeg earlier in March. The Public Health Agency of Canada analyzes samples of Winnipeg wasterwater near the city's three sewage treatment plants. The federal agency determines the relative volume of the virus SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, and also tests the virus to see which virus variants are dominant.

COVID-19 wastewater data shows cases are rising again across Canada

COVID-19 wastewater data shows cases are rising again across Canada

Surveillance of wastewater data is suggesting that COVID-19 cases are on the rise again in Canada as provinces have eased public health restrictions. The resurgence is taking place in Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan and parts of British Columbia, according to an analysis by Global News. “The reality is that as all of the restrictions come off in terms of masking and the other measures which have been in place for some period of time, we can expect that more cases are going to be out there,” said Dr. Steve Hrudey, chair of the research advisory group of the Canadian Water Network COVID 19 Wastewater Coalition. “The next few days to weeks are going to be important to watch,” he said.

Saskatoon sewer samples show highest ever amount of COVID-19

Saskatoon sewer samples show highest ever amount of COVID-19

Researchers at Saskatoon's Global Institute for Water Security say they've found the highest amount of COVID-19 since the study began. In a report released on Monday, the institute said samples taken on Aug. 15 and 17 showed the highest amount of COVID-19 RNA in its wastewater samples. It showed a 348 per cent increase in viral RNA in samples taken from Aug. 12-17, compared to a week before.

Blue-green algae to be investigated as possible cause of mystery neurological disease

Blue-green algae to be investigated as possible cause of mystery neurological disease

A bacteria blamed in previous years for killing dogs that consumed it will be investigated as a potential cause of a mystery neurological brain disease observed in New Brunswick that has killed six people, says a researcher involved in the work. Researchers studying the disease plan on looking at cyanobacteria — also known as blue-green algae — and another toxin present in the region to see if there's a link between them and the disease, said Dr. Neil Cashman, a professor in the University of British Columbia's faculty of medicine, who's helping investigate the illness.

Follow us