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

auditor general

Ontario water and air quality a concern, auditor general environment report finds

Ontario water and air quality a concern, auditor general environment report finds

"The number of weather related disasters such as severe rain or ice storms has grown over the past 100 years from almost one per year in the early 1900s to an annual average of about three since the year 2000." Ice cover on the Great Lakes is 26 per cent lower than it was 50 years ago, the report found. "And Ontario's growing season has lengthened by about 13 days from 1950 to 2018," Shulz said. There are increased algae blooms in Lake Erie and rising levels of microplastics in Lake Ontario. Dissolved oxygen levels, important for aquatic organisms such as fish, are improving in Lake Simcoe, but do not meet the environment minister's targets. The report said 60 per cent of monitored rivers and streams rate "poor" to "very poor" for biological health.

Report finds leaks in Halifax Water cybersecurity systems

Report finds leaks in Halifax Water cybersecurity systems

An audit of Halifax Water by the Halifax Regional Municipality's auditor general has found deficiencies in the utility's cybersecurity, including employees clicking links in emails. As part of the audit, an email purporting to be from a legitimate source with a link, known as a phishing email, was sent to 55 employees of the utility to test their awareness of security protocols. According to the report, 45 employees clicked a link in the email and provided their credentials. Three others clicked the link but did not submit their credentials. Auditor General Evangeline Colman-Sadd's audit looked at supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems and made 21 recommendations for improving security. 

Insufficient watering killed 60 % of trees in Montreal borough initiative

Insufficient watering killed 60 % of trees in Montreal borough initiative

About 60 per cent of young trees planted as part of a green initiative in Montréal-Nord died because the borough didn't properly water them, according to the city's auditor general. The trees were part of the city's Un enfant, un arbre (One child, one tree) initiative, which began in 2013. Citizens can apply to have a tree planted in their neighbourhood to celebrate the birth or adoption of a child. The report, released Tuesday, said "a lack of sufficient watering" meant that 60 per cent of those trees, planted in public spaces in Montréal-Nord, died, representing "a loss of both investment and benefits to the ecosystem."

Auditor general says Alberta's enforcement of pesticide rules needs 'significant improvement'

Auditor general says Alberta's enforcement of pesticide rules needs 'significant improvement'

Alberta's auditor general says the province's lack of oversight into the use and sale of pesticides could be putting people's health and the environment at risk. In a report released Tuesday, Auditor General Doug Wylie found people and businesses may have sold 80 products in 2018 that were illegal in Canada and that inspectors aren't checking whether the people applying pesticides are properly certified.

B.C. isn't effectively overseeing safety of dams, auditor general finds

B.C. isn't effectively overseeing safety of dams, auditor general finds

The British Columbia government has not effectively overseen the safety of the 1,900 dams it regulates, says the auditor general. Michael Pickup said the Ministry of Forests, Land, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development has not adequately verified or enforced dam owners' compliance with key safety requirements. "So I'm trying to balance making sure that it's clear to people that we're not suggesting, you know, dams are unsafe," Pickup told a news conference Tuesday.

AG says Canada is still failing to provide clean drinking water for all First Nations

AG says Canada is still failing to provide clean drinking water for all First Nations

While the federal Liberal government vowed in its 2015 election campaign to end water advisories in Indigenous communities by the end of March 2021, a recent report from the auditor general says they haven’t taken action to make this happen. Auditor General Karen Hogan says 100 water advisories have been lifted since the Liberals came to power, but 60 remain across 41 communities.

Ontario safety agency failing to do its job properly, says auditor general

Ontario safety agency failing to do its job properly, says auditor general

The agency responsible for inspecting elevators, pipelines, furnaces and ski lifts in Ontario is failing to meet its mandate to protect public safety, warns the province's auditor general in a new report. Auditor general Bonnie Lysyk says the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) is doing little to address real safety risks in its areas of responsibility.

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