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.
Human waste is to blame for high levels of E. coli bacteria at First Lake in Lower Sackville, N.S., according to a report commissioned by the Halifax Regional Municipality. A popular beach on the lake was removed from the municipality's beach supervision program in 2020 because of high bacteria levels, so no lifeguards have been monitoring the swimming area and the water isn't regularly tested by the municipality.
Regulars at Spanish Banks West are wondering why one of Vancouver's largest and most beautiful beaches has run dry of clean water, again. The latest shutdown has lasted the better part of a year, leaving park- and beach-goers with no drinking water, no flush toilets, no showers, no change room access and no food concession at the public facility.
Celebrations in a beachside California city will soon have to take place without an iconic, single-use party favour: balloons. The city council of Laguna Beach, about 50 miles southeast of Los Angeles, banned the sale and use of all types of balloons recently, citing their contribution to ocean litter as well as risks from potential fires when they hit power lines. Starting in 2024, people using balloons on public property or at city events could incur fines of up to $500 for each violation. (Balloons used solely within people’s homes are exempt.)
Penhorn Lake Beach is a supervised beach. Municipal staff regularly test the water quality at all supervised municipal beaches, as well as two unsupervised beaches, during the summer months. Recent test results indicate bacteria levels at this beach exceed Health Canada swimming guidelines. High bacteria levels can be caused by a number of factors, including dogs, birds, wildlife, and high temperatures. Staff will continue testing the water until bacteria levels return to safe levels. The municipality will advise residents when the beach reopens.
A beach in Iowa is closed after a rare life-threatening infection of the brain was confirmed in a visitor who recently went swimming there. The beach at Lake of Three Fires State Park in Taylor County will be closed temporarily to swimmers, the Iowa Department of Public Health said Friday. "The closure is a precautionary response to a confirmed infection of Naegleria fowleri in a Missouri resident with recent potential exposure while swimming at the beach," according to a release from the health department.
Water is flowing through the taps once again in Big Grassy River First Nation after three months without consistent, potable water. However, the current water is untreated and coming directly from Lake of the Woods as the community waits for repairs to the water filtration system. The result is that community members have had to go to the beach to collect water for basic sanitation needs, and buildings have been shuttered and the school remains closed to students until a running, drinkable water service is restored.
As temperatures across Canada continue to rise, few things do a better job of keeping us cool than going for a swim. But with the closure of public swimming pools across the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many may be left wondering how safe it will be to return to these spaces once they reopen. According to Matthew Miller, a biochemistry professor at McMaster University in Hamilton who is studying the novel coronavirus, COVID-19 is highly unlikely to be transmitted through water.
A no-swimming advisory during the entire New Brunswick Day weekend didn't stop beachgoers from taking a dip at Parlee Beach. Water samples turned up with high levels of fecal bacteria three days in a row — from water tested Thursday, Friday and Saturday. But the beach was busy, with lifeguards watching over it and many children swimming in the water.
A recent article listing the popular destination as one of the dirtiest beaches in the world could keep people away from the beach if the weather improves. Word of its water quality issues is spreading.
“The Insider” is an online publication that compiles travel tips and information from different groups who travel the world. It has lumped the New Brunswick attraction with others from Senegal to India and Hawaii as among the most polluted on the planet.
