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

Swim Drink Fish

9 Blue Flag Beaches In Canada Where You Can Take A Dip In Crystal Clear, Clean Water

9 Blue Flag Beaches In Canada Where You Can Take A Dip In Crystal Clear, Clean Water

Several beaches in Canada have been designated as Blue Flag beaches for 2023, meaning their water quality and health and safety standards meet strict criteria. According to Swim Drink Fish, which works closely with Blue Flag International, Blue Flag beaches meet 33 criteria across four categories: environmental education and information; water quality; environmental management; and safety and services. But it's not just cleanliness and safety that the status looks for — it also ensures that the beaches "provide the facilities and services that tourists are looking for around the world."

2023 Summer Swim: List of Ontario’s Blue Flag Certified Beaches & Marinas

2023 Summer Swim: List of Ontario’s Blue Flag Certified Beaches & Marinas

The Blue Flag is one of the world’s most well-recognized eco-labels, and to qualify, a beach must meet and continue to maintain a series of environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria. Regular spot checks of water quality are conducted throughout the season. The Blue Flag program in Canada is administered by Swim Drink Fish. Theodore TOO Tugboat, a reproduction of the original TV character Theodore Tugboat from the beloved CBC series “Theodore Tugboat,” collaborates with Swim Drink Fish to help collect water samples during its journey across Ontario.

Manitoulin First Nations leaders prominent in 'Biinaagami' Great Lakes protection project

Manitoulin First Nations leaders prominent in 'Biinaagami' Great Lakes protection project

We have a great deal to lose if we don’t acknowledge our shared responsibility to protect and restore the Great Lakes. That’s the underlying premise of Biinaagami, a multi-year collaborative project undertaken by Canadian Geographic and Swim Drink Fish. The project was launched September 26 in Niagara on the Lake with a number of First Nations leaders from Manitoulin Island as key participants.

Stuff we 'flush down the toilet' ending up in Toronto Harbour, environmental group warns

Stuff we 'flush down the toilet' ending up in Toronto Harbour, environmental group warns

An environmental group is sounding the alarm about the city's main sewage and stormwater system after finding trash like condoms, sanitary wipes and tampons floating in Toronto harbour last month. Mark Mattson, an environmental lawyer and the founder of Swim Drink Fish — a volunteer group working to create swimmable, drinkable, and fishable water for everyone — told CBC Toronto he went to Ontario Place to check out the quality of the water the day after a large storm on July 24.

22 beaches, 10 marinas recognized for being the cleanest and safest in Canada in 2022

22 beaches, 10 marinas recognized for being the cleanest and safest in Canada in 2022

The cleanest and safest beaches and marinas in Canada have been named in a new list of locations to earn a Blue Flag in 2022. Twenty-two beaches and 10 marinas have earned a Blue Flag designation, an international award given to community waterfronts that meet high environmental, safety and cleanliness standards. Registered charity Swim Drink Fish has been the Canadian operator for Blue Flag International since 2020. It helps national beaches or marinas interested in receiving the award through encouraging community engagement and management practices.

'Citizen scientists' being trained to monitor water on Manitoulin Island

'Citizen scientists' being trained to monitor water on Manitoulin Island

A non-profit group is working with a First Nation community in northeastern Ontario to become citizen scientists. Swim Drink Fish, with funding from Environment Canada, is continuing to set up citizen science water monitoring hubs. The group is now working with Zhiibaahaasing First Nation, located at the western end of Manitoulin Island on the northshore of Lake Huron. "We're trying to build a community of people around the Great Lakes who are working for swimmable, drinkable and fishable water," Mark Mattson, president of Swim Drink Fish said.

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