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.
A severe thunderstorm watch has ended for London, Ont. and Middlesex County area, however rain showers and a risk of thunderstorm remains in the forecast for Wednesday evening. A severe thunderstorm watch remained in place as of 4 p.m. for Elgin County, while watches in Huron-Perth, Oxford County, and Sarnia-Lambton had ended. Rainfall warnings remained in place for southern Huron and southern Perth counties, calling for rainfall amounts of between 30 and 50 millimetres.
Residents in areas that draw their water supply from the Thames River watershed are still being urged to conserve water where possible. The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) continues to warn of low water levels after initially making the declaration on July 18, 2022. It says it's not a crisis but that the time to conserve is now. "For Level 1 and Level 2, it's about awareness, making people aware that we have lower water levels, and encouraging some conservation practices," said Eleanor Heagy, Communications and Marketing Coordinator.
