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

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Northern Ont. activist Autumn Peltier a finalist for $135K International Children’s Peace Prize

Northern Ont. activist Autumn Peltier a finalist for $135K International Children’s Peace Prize

Autumn Peltier of Wiikwemkoong First Nation is a finalist for this year’s International Children’s Peace Prize. Peltier, 18, is one of three people who made a shortlist selected by a panel of experts from more than 175 nominees from 46 countries. The winner will receive 100,000 euros, or about $135,000, half of which will go to a project they support. “Global youth environmental activist Autumn Peltier, also known as ‘The Water Protector,’ has been advocating for clean water in Canada and beyond for many years,” said a news release Tuesday from kidsrights.org.

Indigenous youth activist advocating for clean water for all Canadians

Indigenous youth activist advocating for clean water for all Canadians

After its acclaimed debut at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2020, The Water Walker, which followers the Anishinaabe Indigenous rights advocate Autumn Peltier on a journey to speak in front of the United Nations, has been picked up by HBO Canada and will be available to stream on Crave in April. At only 17, Peltier has over 100,000 Instagram followers and has spoken to prominent world leaders while advocating for safe and easy access to water as a fundamental human right.

Council denies activist’s request for moratorium at Teedon Pit

Council denies activist’s request for moratorium at Teedon Pit

A resident’s plea to stop an aggregate pit just didn’t float with all of Tiny council. Three requests by an ecological defender, in regards to the contentious Teedon Pit extraction in Tiny, were defeated by council during a recent committee of the whole meeting. Anne Ritchie Nahuis appeared virtually before council last month to give a deputation regarding a letter she had sent to the township, chiding them for dragging their feet in halting the potentially aquifer-damaging issues at 90 Darby Road, known as the Teedon Pit.

RUSSELL EASY: At the VG fighting cancer and for the right to clean water

RUSSELL EASY: At the VG fighting cancer and for the right to clean water

I am currently at the VG undergoing my third round of immuno/chemotherapy, and though I know I will be treated with outstanding care, I also know that I will be unable to simply go to the bathroom to rinse my flushed face with cool water from the tap. I will be unable to take a shower, even though the toxic drugs flowing through my body will cause shakes and shivers and night sweats. And I also know that the caretakers and registered nurses who do such a phenomenal job will be taking precious time out of their schedule to prepare clean and pathogen-free water for me and for others much worse off than I am, simply so these individuals who are ill can take a necessary sponge bath to ease the distress of their treatments.

Indigenous ​activist Autumn Peltier vows to hold feds accountable for 61 boil water advisories​

Indigenous ​activist Autumn Peltier vows to hold feds accountable for 61 boil water advisories​

With tears in her eyes, Peltier has also pressed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau directly about the ongoing threat that oil pipelines pose to the environment, specifically clean drinking water. “I’m kind of still holding him accountable because I’m not going to forget that,” she said. “When you think about Canada, you don’t imagine having a crisis or issue this big because we’re looked at as a rich country." The Trudeau government promised to end all long-term water boil advisories on First Nations reserves by March 2021. As of last March, 88 were lifted, but 61 still remain. Even through the pandemic, Peltier’s activism hasn’t stopped. Along with completing her school work, she’s also been empowering other youth through online events and speaking engagements.

Ellen Page Tackles Canada’s Environmental Racism In ‘There’s Something In The Water’ Documentary Trailer

Ellen Page Tackles Canada’s Environmental Racism In ‘There’s Something In The Water’ Documentary Trailer

In her new documentary “There’s Something in the Water”, co-directed by Ian Daniel, the actress and activist focuses on the effects of environmental racism on black and indigenous communities in Nova Scotia. “In Canada, your postal code determines your health,” sociologist Ingrid Waldron says in the trailer for the film. “So we know that where you live has bearing on your well-being. Indigenous and black communities are the ones that tend to be located near hazardous sites.”

Ellen Page digs deeper to buy a well for Shelburne

Ellen Page digs deeper to buy a well for Shelburne

Ellen Page made the town council of Shelburne, N.S., an offer they couldn't refuse. The Nova Scotia-born actor, filmmaker and activist had been pledging financial support to help a non-profit group in the South Shore town build a community well. But at a recent council meeting, elected officials turned down Page's offer amid concerns it wouldn't be enough to cover the cost of the project at a time when the town is facing a crippling financial position that could see the end of its status as a municipality. hat decision did not deter Page. "She just stepped up and she just said, 'Well, I'll pay whatever they want,'" said Louise Delisle, whose community group, South End Environmental Injustice Society, has pushed for the well.

Activist honoured at first meeting of Great Lakes Guardians' Council

Activist honoured at first meeting of Great Lakes Guardians' Council

Ontario's government is working to protect what matters most by identifying priorities for action to help protect the water quality and ecosystems of the Great Lakes and other waterways as part of its commitment in the Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan. Today, Rod Phillips, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and Grand Council Chief Glen Hare co-chaired the Great Lakes Guardian Council, which includes leaders from across Ontario including municipalities, First Nations and Métis communities, environmental organizations, and the science community, to discuss challenges and opportunities around the Great Lakes.

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