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

beaches

Tap into Barrie water at local beaches this summer

Tap into Barrie water at local beaches this summer

The City of Barrie Water Operations branch is going on the road this summer and bringing free drinking water to a beach near you. Residents, visitors, and summer camp participants are invited to fill up their reusable bottles with Barrie tap water for free at the city’s water trailer this summer. The water trailer will be at Tyndale Beach or Centennial beach every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. until Aug. 31, 2023, weather permitting and subject to staff availability. The water trailer holds enough tap water to fill 2,000 reusable water bottles.

High E. coli levels close beaches in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick

High E. coli levels close beaches in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick

During Friday’s sweltering hot weather, some Maritimers visited lakefront beaches and were not able to swim due to high E. coli levels. This was the case for Haja Nabay and her son who stopped by Albro Lake Beach in Dartmouth Friday, only to find out that the beach was closed to swimming due to high bacterial levels deemed unsafe for swimming.

2 beaches closed, swimming not recommended at 4

2 beaches closed, swimming not recommended at 4

Sandpoint Beach and Belle River Beach are closed as both sampled E.coli levels of 1000. While swimming is not recommended at Colchester Beach, Holiday Beach, Point Pelee North West Beach, and Seacliff Beach due to E. coli levels above 200. Cedar Beach and Cedar Island Beach remain open and are safe for swimming. The health unit conducts beach water quality monitoring at eight public beaches at least once a week to ensure the bacterial counts in the water are below provincial standards.

Toxic algae kills hundreds of dolphins and sea lions on California coast

Toxic algae kills hundreds of dolphins and sea lions on California coast

Harmful algal blooms work by disrupting food webs, Dr Caron said. Creatures such as shellfish, anchovies and sardines consume the toxins before then being eaten by larger marine mammals. "They eat a meal of those highly toxic fish and then they become toxified themselves, and if they get enough of that material, it of course can kill them, which is happening now," he said.

These B.C. garbage picker-uppers say once you start, it's impossible to stop

These B.C. garbage picker-uppers say once you start, it's impossible to stop

For Vancouver's Yasmin Schepens, what started as a project to photograph her favourite spot of beach has blown into, at times, an overwhelming commitment to rid it of garbage like cigarette butts, food wrappers and other pieces of plastic. "I couldn't just leave it there, so I started picking it up," said the 30-year-old who moved to Canada from Belgium in 2016.

Amid weekend heat, some beaches not recommended as a way to cool down

Amid weekend heat, some beaches not recommended as a way to cool down

Environment Canada forecasts sunny and warm weather this Labour Day long weekend. While the temperatures may be hot, finding a way to cool off may be a little more difficult. The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) released the findings of the latest E. coli testing at our local beaches. Six beaches are considered unsafe for swimming: Belle River Beach - 992 E. coli count, Cedar Beach - 222 E. coli count, Colchester Beach - 649 E. coli count, Mettawa Beach - 592 E. coli count, Sandpoint Beach - 216 E. coli count, Seacliff Beach - 639 E. coli count.

No-swimming advisories issued for 4 N.B. beaches

No-swimming advisories issued for 4 N.B. beaches

If you're heading to a beach for a cool-down swim, make sure you check if there are any water-quality advisories in your area. A few beaches in New Brunswick have registered high levels of E. coli and enterococci as most of the province is under a heat warning, with temperatures in the low 30s but feeling like up to 40 C. Oak Bay Provincial Park near St. Stephen has had a no-swimming advisory in place for more than a week. Parlee Beach and Murray Beach near Moncton are both also not suitable for swimming.

22 beaches, 10 marinas recognized for being the cleanest and safest in Canada in 2022

22 beaches, 10 marinas recognized for being the cleanest and safest in Canada in 2022

The cleanest and safest beaches and marinas in Canada have been named in a new list of locations to earn a Blue Flag in 2022. Twenty-two beaches and 10 marinas have earned a Blue Flag designation, an international award given to community waterfronts that meet high environmental, safety and cleanliness standards. Registered charity Swim Drink Fish has been the Canadian operator for Blue Flag International since 2020. It helps national beaches or marinas interested in receiving the award through encouraging community engagement and management practices.

Remediation work at Thunder Bay beaches leads to drop in E. coli levels

Remediation work at Thunder Bay beaches leads to drop in E. coli levels

The Friends of Chippewa Park are hopeful for a surge in visitors to the south-side attraction now that water testing has shown bacteria levels at the Thunder Bay, Ont., park's beaches have dropped. A memo presented to city council Monday night says the two beaches at Chippewa — the main beach and Sandy Beach — as well one at Boulevard Lake have seen major improvements to water quality in recent years.

Greater Victoria residents asked to stay out of water at 2 locations due to wastewater discharge

Greater Victoria residents asked to stay out of water at 2 locations due to wastewater discharge

Residents in Greater Victoria are being advised not to enter the water at two shoreline locations due to wastewater discharge after heavy rain. The two affected shorelines are between Tarn Place and Seaview Road (Cadboro Bay), and between Radcliffe Lane and Trafalgar Park (McNeil Bay). Warning signs have been put up at beaches in both areas, and will only be removed after tests confirm bacteria levels are below acceptable levels.

Water quality good at area beaches, particularly along the fast-flowing Ottawa River

Water quality good at area beaches, particularly along the fast-flowing Ottawa River

Swimmers in Prescott and Russell can feel confident in water quality at area beaches, particularly along the fast-flowing Ottawa River, according to a biologist with the group whose research inspired the City of Gatineau to conduct daily testing on its beaches. A grassroots charity, Ottawa Riverkeeper brings together volunteers, communities, businesses and all levels of government to find solutions to problems that threaten the health of the river. The City of Gatineau recently announced it is now conducting daily water quality tests at all its beaches in response to recommendations made by Ottawa Riverkeeper in a study released in 2020 on the municipality’s beaches. The full report can be found here.

High E. coli levels close 3 Metro Vancouver beaches to swimmers

High E. coli levels close 3 Metro Vancouver beaches to swimmers

Three Metro Vancouver beaches have been closed to swimmers after high E. coli levels were detected in the water. English Bay Beach, Snug Cove Beach on Bowen Island and Oasis Beach just south of UBC's Wreck Beach have been closed to swimmers until further notice. "Vancouver Coastal Health provides daily water quality reports and today's sample counts exceed the safe level for swimming," according to a Tweet from Vancouver Park Board.

Washrooms open but water still off limits at Ottawa's beaches

Washrooms open but water still off limits at Ottawa's beaches

Public washrooms are open at five Ottawa beaches, but don't take that as a sign it's safe to go back in the water. "The water is not open," said Mayor Jim Watson during a teleconference Wednesday. "We're not testing it and there are no lifeguards." Seasonal washrooms are open at Britannia Park, Andrew Haydon Park, Westboro Beach, Mooney's Bay Beach and Petrie Island Beaches, the city said.

'Watching our lake die': Blue green algae fills Lake Winnipeg beaches

'Watching our lake die': Blue green algae fills Lake Winnipeg beaches

Toxic blue green algae blooms are appearing on Lake Winnipeg beaches earlier than normal, as the deadline looms for the City of Winnipeg to come up with a plan to tackle the excessive amount of phosphorus it's pumping into the lake each day. Some residents who live along the lake's shorelines say the bright green goo — which grows because of an excessive amount of phosphorus in the water — is the worst they've seen.

Marine biologist offers Montreal festivals an alternative to single-use water bottles

Marine biologist offers Montreal festivals an alternative to single-use water bottles

Planning on attending Osheaga in Montreal this summer? Bring along a reusable water bottle and fill it up as often as you'd like — for free. You can do that now thanks to a local marine biologist and her determination to keep plastic out of the oceans. This summer, Rachel Labbé-Bellas is unveiling her new water-refill stations at the summer festival — water-refill stations she's dubbed The Green Stop, designed to discourage people from using single-use plastic bottles and inspire environmental awareness.

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