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

York Region

'The spirits hear us': Paddles and prayers protect Lake Simcoe

'The spirits hear us': Paddles and prayers protect Lake Simcoe

For an Anishinaabe woman, water is life — and water had taken life away. “It was very emotional for me. I guess you can say I was a little bit angry at the water.” Then she realized that part of her healing journey must include this. She would organize Shining Water Paddle to bring prayers, offerings, blessings and songs to the water. They would honour the spirits, remember the ancestors and seek their guidance to protect this precious resource, this essence of First Nations peoples. It was time to make their voices heard — and for her to heal, too.

Ontario sewage dilemma to go to expert panel

Ontario sewage dilemma to go to expert panel

The Ontario government is seeking to punt the question of what to do with millions of litres of Greater Toronto Area sewage to an expert panel. York Region, located north of Toronto, has sought for years to build a new sewage treatment plant to accommodate an anticipated 153,000 additional people in the suburbs of Aurora, Newmarket and East Gwillimbury. At issue is the question of whether that wastewater should flow into Lake Simcoe or Lake Ontario — or whether there’s an alternative that hasn’t yet been explored.

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