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

Rideau River

Ottawa blasts its river ice. What would it take to do the same in the N.W.T.?

Ottawa blasts its river ice. What would it take to do the same in the N.W.T.?

In 1951, a man in Hay River, N.W.T., drowned after the town experienced devastating flooding. The cause of the flooding was the same thing that caused the 2022 floods: ice jams. But a 1988 report by the federal government details that a flood prevention measure that had been used the previous three years wasn't used in 1951. This was the practice of ice blasting, using explosives to blow up river ice and prevent jamming. "Because of the flooding in 1951, an extensive blasting program was undertaken in the spring of 1952," the report said.

Kemptville, Ont. residents come together as properties flood

Kemptville, Ont. residents come together as properties flood

A flood warning remains in effect for the Rideau Valley watershed following Wednesday's ice storm. Many in the Kemptville area have properties under water. Mark Visser's front lawn is completely flooded. "You move stuff off the floor… hopefully it won't get wet and you hope for the best," he said. Rising water levels, coupled with an ice storm and the immediate melt pushed the Rideau River higher.

Data shows Ontario, Quebec have worst water quality in Canada

Data shows Ontario, Quebec have worst water quality in Canada

A report from Environment and Climate Change Canada said Ontario and Quebec have the poorest water quality in Canada, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. “Calculated trends using data from 2002 to 2020 show no site with improved water quality,” said the report. “During that same period, water quality deteriorated at 24 sites.” Water quality showed no improvement in the past two decades because of raw sewage dumped into waterways. Regional waterways with worsening quality included Ottawa’s Rideau River, Toronto’s Humber and Don rivers, and Quebec’s Chateauguay, Jacques-Cartier, and la Petite Nation rivers.

Gull wires won't go up at 2 Ottawa beaches this summer

Gull wires won't go up at 2 Ottawa beaches this summer

Residents are worried about a potential increase of E. coli because the City of Ottawa won't install wires to prevent birds at Britannia and Mooney's Bay beaches this season. The wires were installed three metres above sections of those beaches a number of years ago to help prevent the congregation of gulls, which are linked to driving up E. coli counts in nearby water. The city said the wires will not go up this summer as it searches for other ways to manage seagulls and other birds.

Environment ministry alerted after reports of oil spill in Rideau River

Environment ministry alerted after reports of oil spill in Rideau River

The province's environment ministry was alerted after firefighters responded to reports of a petroleum spill Sunday evening in the Rideau River. Ottawa Fire Services received a call at approximately 7 p.m. from a passerby who reported what they believed to be petroleum under the Adàwe Crossing connecting Overbrook and Sandy Hill. Firefighters went to the area to investigate and saw some material in the water. Crews were unable to determine what the floating material was or the source of the potential spill, the fire department said, but reported it to the Ministry of the Environment.

Boswell: Reimagining the Rideau — Ottawa's urban respite for the soul

Boswell: Reimagining the Rideau — Ottawa's urban respite for the soul

I’m up to my knees in water, socks and sneakers submerged — why not? — a few hundred metres west of where Billings Bridge crosses the Rideau River. Not far from a busy, noisy, fumy stretch of Bank Street that typifies much of urban Ottawa, I’m stepping carefully over stones covered in seaweedy slime, immersed in a world of fish and frogs and dragonflies, between mainland Old Ottawa South and my magical destination: a small, unnamed, kidney-shaped island just off the Rideau’s north shore.

Water levels on Ottawa River, Rideau River expected to rise this weekend due to heavy rainfall

Water levels on Ottawa River, Rideau River expected to rise this weekend due to heavy rainfall

Heavy rain in the forecast this weekend is expected to cause water levels to rise along the Ottawa River and the Rideau River watershed. However, officials don't expect excessive flooding along the Ottawa River this spring. Environment Canada is calling for 15 to 25 millimetres of rain in Ottawa on Friday, with more rain in the forecast on Sunday.

Ottawa diver finds garbage problem at bottom of Rideau River

Ottawa diver finds garbage problem at bottom of Rideau River

An Ottawa diver who was filming his search for antiques at the bottom of the Rideau River found a surprising amount of trash below the surface. In the underwater video posted to André Constantineau’s YouTube channel there is everything from bottles, to packages, plastic gloves, lighters, tires, and even construction lights shown.

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