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.
Trees filter air to reduce smog and pollution, capture and absorb water to prevent flooding, block the sun's rays to reduce heat islands and provide wildlife habitat to support biodiversity, says the city's urban forest strategy. Last month, council approved the city's plan to increase its urban canopy to 40 per cent by 2050, with a focus on planting more trees in areas that are lacking, like downtown, and keeping existing trees healthy.
At the most basic level, rain gardens function like sponges. They are typically made by digging five or so feet into the ground, adding layers of rock and soil mixes designed to absorb and filter water, and topping the layers with flowers, trees, and shrubs. A finished rain garden should dip like a bowl about half a foot below ground level so that when it rains, the garden can temporarily fill up, allowing water to percolate into the ground rather than run into the street.
