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.
Yukon Energy is again asking for permission this year to lower the level of Marsh Lake, in anticipation of possible flooding this summer. The company has submitted an "urgent" application to the Yukon Water Board to amend its licence for this year. If approved, Yukon Energy would open a downstream dam this spring to allow Marsh Lake to drop by up to 10 centimetres below what's normally allowed.
Flooding has been an immediate and pressing concern for Yukoners so far this summer, with some people now finding themselves under an evacuation alert as water levels near their homes creep up. But a report out last month from Canadian Institute for Climate Choices (CICC) suggests that when it comes to floods, the territory needs to start looking decades into the future as well. Researchers at the institute looked at how many health centres in Canada are built in areas that put them under threat of being affected by floods occurring 20, 50 and 100 years from now.
