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

Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory

Drinking water project to continue through winter

Drinking water project to continue through winter

The third phase of a decades long struggle to bring safe drinking water to Tyenindaga Mohawk Territory is well under way, Chief R. Donald Maracle said. “Currently, we are building the disaster mitigation and adaptation part,” the longtime chief said in an interview. “Infrastructure Canada contributing $30 million, (while) the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte will be putting in approximately $10 million for this project. Phase 3 broke ground on Oct. 3 at the corner of Beach Road and Young Street in Shannonville. The work, being done by Gordon Barr Ltd., encompasses 21 kilometres of watermain and service to 320 residences. “Right now that project is under construction on Beach Road,” Chief Maracle said. “I think they’re almost down to the Beach area now from Shannonville, and they hope to have that completed before Christmas, and then they’ll move along over to the other part of Ridge Road.”

After 14 years, boil water advisory lifted for most in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory

After 14 years, boil water advisory lifted for most in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory

For the past 14 years, Andrew Brant and many others on Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory have had to haul all their water to their homes one jug at a time. His arms, and those of most fellow residents, will get a well-deserved break as the southeastern Ontario First Nation west of Kingston lifted five long-term water advisories on March 28 as they expanded connections to a new water treatment plant. The advisories had been in place since 2008.

System upgrades end five water advisories on Tyendinaga reserve

System upgrades end five water advisories on Tyendinaga reserve

Five long-term drinking-water advisories on the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory have ended after more properties were connected to the reserve’s water-distribution system. Officials with Indigenous Services Canada and the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte band announced the changes Monday night in a news release. “I’m very, very happy to see our community members getting safe drinking water,” Mohawk Chief R. Donald Maracle said Tuesday in a telephone interview from the band office. The advisories had been in effect since 2008. They applied to the public water systems in the Tyendinaga Mohawk Airport area, the AC Miracle Apartments, the MBQ Trailer Park, and the semi-public systems of the MBQ Bayview Variety Apartments, about 20 public and semi-public buildings.

Ontario First Nations chief hails federal funding to end five long-term drinking water advisories

Ontario First Nations chief hails federal funding to end five long-term drinking water advisories

The Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte First Nation is expanding its water system to deliver clean drinking water to hundreds of residents who have been grappling for more than a decade with seven drinking water advisories. The Bay of Quinte is on Lake Ontario and the First Nation is not remote or isolated. It’s just off Ontario’s Highway 401, between Toronto and Montreal. Chief R. Donald Maracle said his community has suffered from a lack of safe water since 2008, due to fecal, bacterial and algae contaminations. A regional drought made many groundwater wells go completely dry in 2017.

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