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

SARS-CoV-2

Wastewater study shows COVID levels are down in Saskatoon, but up in North Battleford

Wastewater study shows COVID levels are down in Saskatoon, but up in North Battleford

COVID-19 viral loads in wastewater are up in North Battleford, Sask., but down in Saskatoon, the most recent data from the University of Saskatchewan shows. Since the summer of 2020, a group of researchers from the U of S have analyzed wastewater samples from Saskatoon, North Battleford and Prince Albert in search of traces of the COVID-19 virus. However, data is not available from Prince Albert this week because researchers only received one sample from the city's wastewater, which was delivered late, according to an email from wastewater project manager Femi Oloye.

COVID levels in Regina wastewater drop, but remain high: U of R

COVID levels in Regina wastewater drop, but remain high: U of R

University of Regina researchers say the amount of SARS-CoV-2 circulating in the city's wastewater remains high, but is down from previous levels. The latest analysis for the week of Oct. 30 through Nov. 5 showed a mixture in COVID levels for the cities studied. Analysis of the City of Moose Jaw's wastewater shows an increase in virus, putting that city's COVID levels at a moderate-high level.

Wastewater analysis shows spike in Saskatoon's coronavirus load, drop in other Sask. cities

Wastewater analysis shows spike in Saskatoon's coronavirus load, drop in other Sask. cities

COVID-19 levels in the wastewater of some Saskatchewan cities are plateauing or even dropping, but the level is spiking in Saskatoon, according to the latest study. The Global Institute for Water Security at the University of Saskatchewan tests the wastewater in Saskatoon, North Battleford and Prince Albert each week to determine how much COVID-19 is circulating in those centres.

COVID in the (waste) water: How testing sewage for coronavirus variants can be 'life-saving'

COVID in the (waste) water: How testing sewage for coronavirus variants can be 'life-saving'

John Giesy helps run a level two biosafety lab at the University of Saskatchewan. “Level four would be where you’re working with things like anthrax, and everyone is in hazmat suits,” the toxicologist and environmental chemist explains. At the Saskatoon biolab, people sit before fume hoods, “where we vent things and filter things, so we’re not releasing anything to the environment, and our people aren’t exposed.” One of the things they’re filtering is wastewater, searching for signals of SARS-CoV-2 from human stool.

Wastewater shows coronavirus viral load down in Saskatoon and North Battleford, up in Prince Albert and Regina

Wastewater shows coronavirus viral load down in Saskatoon and North Battleford, up in Prince Albert and Regina

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan have published the latest coronavirus wastewater data, showing a downward trend in Saskatoon and North Battleford, but also a jump of viral load in the Prince Albert wastewater. Scientists from the university's Global Institute for Water Security continue to monitor wastewater from Saskatoon, North Battleford and Prince Albert for the viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) load of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Viral load down in Saskatoon, Prince Albert and North Battleford wastewater

Viral load down in Saskatoon, Prince Albert and North Battleford wastewater

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan have published the latest wastewater data, revealing a drop of viral load in the wastewater of several Saskatchewan cities. Scientists from the university's Global Institute for Water Security continue to monitor wastewater from Saskatoon, North Battleford and Prince Albert for the viral RNA load of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

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.

Sask. universities find high levels of coronavirus viral load in cities' wastewater Social Sharing

Sask. universities find high levels of coronavirus viral load in cities' wastewater Social Sharing

A University of Saskatchewan professor says recent coronavirus monitoring in Saskatoon's wastewater has found levels among the highest point reported during the pandemic. Researchers from the university's Global Institute for Water Security continue to monitor wastewater from Saskatoon, North Battleford and Prince Albert for the viral RNA load of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Researchers doing wastewater testing find COVID-19 spikes in Saskatoon and North Battleford

Researchers doing wastewater testing find COVID-19 spikes in Saskatoon and North Battleford

Coronavirus particles have spiked in Saskatoon and North Battleford wastewater, according to the latest report from researchers studying it. That means COVID-19 numbers will likely leap in the coming weeks in those cities. Researchers from the University of Saskatchewan continue to monitor the wastewater from three Saskatchewan cities for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Sask. researchers see downward trend in COVID-19 wastewater testing, but delta sub-variants detected

Sask. researchers see downward trend in COVID-19 wastewater testing, but delta sub-variants detected

A drop in coronavirus particles in Saskatoon, Prince Albert and North Battleford wastewater might be a promising sign for the upcoming COVID-19 numbers, but a scientist from the University of Saskatchewan says he is still concerned about some of the recent findings. Researchers from the University of Saskatchewan continue to monitor the wastewater from the three cities for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Water detectives: Scientists test wastewater for signs of virus

Water detectives: Scientists test wastewater for signs of virus

For three weeks this summer, scientist Hector Rangel collected samples from wastewater in Caracas, Venezuela. His counterpart in Kampala, Uganda, Brian Lubega, took samples from a stream where open sewers drain into the watershed. These specimens were then processed and sent off to be analyzed at Western University’s Imaging Pathogens for Knowledge Translation (ImPaKT) facility. The goal is to better understand the prevalence of the coronavirus in these areas and get a picture of the variants that are circulating there.

Fredericton company supplying COVID-19 test chemicals detects virus at home office

Fredericton company supplying COVID-19 test chemicals detects virus at home office

LuminUltra Technologies Ltd., the Fredericton-based company assisting in the production of millions of COVID-19 tests, detected coronavirus at its headquarters in the city's downtown last week. Using an environmental test developed in house, LuminUltra staff detected "a trace amount of SARS-CoV-2 on a surface in a common area" on July 16, communications director Jessica Stutt said in an emailed statement to CBC. "We immediately informed the Department of Health and have been following their guidance; all employees that have been in the area have been advised to self-isolate," Stutt said in the Friday email. "At this time no employees are symptomatic of COVID-19."

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