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.
Sandpoint Beach and Belle River Beach are closed as both sampled E.coli levels of 1000. While swimming is not recommended at Colchester Beach, Holiday Beach, Point Pelee North West Beach, and Seacliff Beach due to E. coli levels above 200. Cedar Beach and Cedar Island Beach remain open and are safe for swimming. The health unit conducts beach water quality monitoring at eight public beaches at least once a week to ensure the bacterial counts in the water are below provincial standards.
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) is warning swimmers not to go in the water at Sandpoint Beach in Windsor and Lakeshore Lakeview Park West Beach. The agency launched its annual testing program this week — taking samples from eight local beaches. Beach water samples grabbed by inspectors at Sandpoint and in Lakeshore showed high bacterial counts of E. coli.
