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.
Theodore TOO, Canada’s famous and beloved tugboat, is set to make a stop at the Oshawa Port on its way from Halifax to his new home in the Port of Hamilton. Theodore will be making several port stops along his journey as part of his Great Lakes tour. He is set to dock in Oshawa on July 15, however ports and dates are subject to change and are pending weather and water levels.
Canada’s famous and beloved tugboat, Theodore TOO, announced on Jun. 9, 2021, that he would set sail from Halifax to his new home in the Port of Hamilton and would become an ambassador to the Great Lakes and the marine industry. The 65-foot life-sized reproduction of Canada’s beloved “Theodore Tugboat” has partnered with Swim Drink Fish and will take on a large role in promoting several of the organization’s initiatives including its Great Lakes Guide, according to the tugboat’s owner, Blair McKeil. “We must ensure access to clean water and promote employment in one of our nation’s most vital and skill-intensive sectors,” said McKeil, President and CEO of Breakwater Investments. “We’re incredibly honoured to join Swim Drink Fish and lend support to its work with Indigenous leaders and sustainability thought leaders in their mission-critical work rallying Canadians around a clean water strategy built on the conservation, restoration and protection of our waterways and Great Lakes. Tugboats have a big job on the water and Theodore TOO has an even bigger mandate now. We’re incredibly excited about the role he’ll play in promoting sustainability.”
While reaffirming Theodore TOO's unwavering commitment to promoting Canada's Maritimes, the tugboat's owner, Blair McKeil, announced today a collaboration with one of the nation's leading water education and conservation advocates, Swim Drink Fish, which will see Theodore TOO play a larger role in promoting several of the organization's initiatives including its Great Lakes Guide. Plans are also in the works to have Theodore TOO actively advocate for employment in Canada's marine and shipbuilding industry in the face of a critical labour shortage through federal and industry-driven revitalization initiatives.
