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

Whiteshell Provincial Park

Rain in the forecast means Lake of the Woods water level likely to rise again

Rain in the forecast means Lake of the Woods water level likely to rise again

Rain in the forecast could increase the water level on Lake of the Woods again in the next few days, just as flood conditions were beginning to improve. As of Friday, the lake was 324.1 metres (1,063.3 feet) above sea level, just a few centimetres below its record crest of 324.31 metres (1,064 feet) above sea level reached during the flood of 1950, according to the Lake of the Woods Control Board. However, rainfall is expected to rise between five and 11 centimetres (two to four inches) over the next week, with most of the rise occurring over the weekend, says the board's most recent notice.

Whiteshell state of emergency extended to July 18

Whiteshell state of emergency extended to July 18

The Manitoba government has extended its state of emergency declaration in Whiteshell Provincial Park as water levels remain higher than normal. Although conditions have improved on the Winnipeg River and many lakes and streams, some areas of the southeastern Manitoba park remain hazardous, the province's Environment, Climate and Parks department said in a news release Friday. The original state of emergency declaration was set to expire June 19. The new one will expire on July 18, although it could be rescinded before then if it is no longer needed.

Winnipeg River receding in Manitoba after record Whiteshell flood

Winnipeg River receding in Manitoba after record Whiteshell flood

Owners of resorts and cottages along the Winnipeg River in Whiteshell Provincial Park can breathe a sigh of relief, as the Manitoba portion of the waterway is receding following a record flood. The Winnipeg River has crested from the Ontario border to Seven Sisters Falls, according to the Lake of the Woods Control Board. The river's peak flow at Seven Sisters Falls was approximately 125,000 cubic feet per second. That's roughly three and a half times the usual volume for this time of year.

Winnipeg River, already flowing at a record volume, slated to rise even higher

Winnipeg River, already flowing at a record volume, slated to rise even higher

The Winnipeg River is flowing at a record volume in Manitoba because officials no longer have any other option to control flooding across a vast swath of northwestern Ontario and northern Minnesota. Flooding on the Winnipeg River, which is running at about 3.5 times its usual volume at this time of year, has already forced hundreds of people from their homes and washed out roads in Whiteshell Provincial Park. This is the result of inflows that are only expected to increase in the coming days, raising water levels up to two-thirds of a metre higher in some locations in Manitoba.

Whiteshell property owners prepare to stay and fight flood despite evacuation order

Whiteshell property owners prepare to stay and fight flood despite evacuation order

Resort owner Amy Vereb says she will be one of many people in the Whiteshell staying behind to protect their properties from rising floodwaters after an expanded evacuation order goes into effect Tuesday. "There's lots of us out here that this is all we have, and I just don't think that people realize that," said Vereb, who owns Otter Falls Resort. "This isn't just cottage country."

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