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

W5

Asbestos and cement pipes

Asbestos and cement pipes

Following W5’s report, and in an abundance of caution, the City consulted with the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health. On May 23, 2023, staff collected a sample of water from the Glen Collector System at the Arkell Spring Grounds. Lex Scientific was contracted to analyze the sample and on June 1, 2023, the City received the results of the sample. The Lex Scientific water analysis technical memo  indicated tests showed no detection of asbestos fibres in the raw water groundwater sample.

W5 asbestos investigation triggers water testing in Alberta municipality

W5 asbestos investigation triggers water testing in Alberta municipality

Medicine Hat, Alta. will begin testing for asbestos due to "community concerns" following a W5 investigation that showed the presence of fibres in the tap water of two Canadian cities. About 32 per cent of Medicine Hat’s watermain network — roughly 140 kilometres — is made up of asbestos cement pipe and is among the 85 communities W5 revealed to have those pipes still in use underground.

Local drinking water in question

Local drinking water in question

Anyone who watched CTV’s W5 investigation into asbestos-cement water pipes probably went straight to the show’s website after the episode had finished to find out how many of those pipes are in Kelowna’s water system. CTV surveyed 100 Canadian municipalities to find out who has asbestos-cement pipes in their system. W5 came up with 195 kilometres of asbestos-cement pipes, or 32 per cent, in the Kelowna water system.

W5 investigation reveals asbestos cement pipes beneath Winnipeggers' feet

W5 investigation reveals asbestos cement pipes beneath Winnipeggers' feet

For decades, starting in the 1950s and ’60s the City of Winnipeg laid hundreds of kilometres of asbestos cement pipes across the city. Now those pipes and the asbestos fibres within them are causing concerns. A recent W5 investigation has found there are 721 kilometres of asbestos cement pipes in Winnipeg, and 25 per cent of the water main networks is also made of the material.

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