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.
Emelko co-leads forWater, a Canada-wide and internationally-partnered strategic research network focused on forest management-based approaches for drinking water source protection. The network brings together researchers, government agencies and industry professionals from different disciplines across Canada who are focused on understanding and developing response strategies to climate change threats.
It took until 2022, but water finally made it onto the official agenda of a UN Climate Change Conference. ‘Water Day’ was designated for November 14 at the recent COP27 climate change conference in Egypt where 190 countries had assembled to discuss climate action. Water Day discussions covered water scarcity, drought, early warning systems, and cross boundary cooperation, with one entire session devoted to the critical importance of monitoring and managing river basin systems.
The third phase of a decades long struggle to bring safe drinking water to Tyenindaga Mohawk Territory is well under way, Chief R. Donald Maracle said. “Currently, we are building the disaster mitigation and adaptation part,” the longtime chief said in an interview. “Infrastructure Canada contributing $30 million, (while) the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte will be putting in approximately $10 million for this project. Phase 3 broke ground on Oct. 3 at the corner of Beach Road and Young Street in Shannonville. The work, being done by Gordon Barr Ltd., encompasses 21 kilometres of watermain and service to 320 residences. “Right now that project is under construction on Beach Road,” Chief Maracle said. “I think they’re almost down to the Beach area now from Shannonville, and they hope to have that completed before Christmas, and then they’ll move along over to the other part of Ridge Road.”
I’ve heard on more than one occasion someone “dad joke” about denial not just being a river in Egypt. Online you’ll find this quote attributed, without further detail, to Mark Twain. However, the earliest evidence of its use, according to Quote Investigator, was in a 1933 U.S. newspaper – 23 years after Twain died. It’s interesting, though not surprising, how the unverified attribution presented as fact is clearly more prevalent on the Internet.
UBC experts are available to comment on flooding and extreme weather, in light of a state of emergency in Kelowna and other parts of western Canada. Climate science and natural disasters Dr. Susan Day Professor, Department of Forest Resources Management Email: susan.day@ubc.ca Phone: 604-822-6652 Interview Language(s): English: Urban forests, Urban soils, stormwater, water relations, plant response to climate stress to climate stress
Homeowners, farmers and businesses in and around the southern Manitoba town of Morden are working to adapt to extreme drought conditions brought on by intense heat and a lack of precipitation in recent months. And while it might be an eyebrow-raising sight to see watering still going on at the Minnewasta Golf and Country Club, the club says it's worked up a plan to funnel thousands of litres of town wastewater to the course, allowing it to keep watering tee boxes and greens and not Lake Minnewasta, where drinking water comes from.
As the climate continues to warm at an alarming rate, experts warn if dramatic steps to mitigate global warming are not taken, the effects in Canada’s Prairie region will be devastating to the country’s agriculture sector. According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, the country is warming, on average, about double the global rate. Scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the U.S. recently found 2020 was earth’s second-hottest year on record, with the average land and ocean surface temperature across the globe at 0.98 of a degree C above the 20th-century average. However, the agency found the northern hemisphere saw its hottest year on record, at 1.28 degrees C above the average.
