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

benzene

'There's no accountability': Tantallon property contaminated, but no one will clean it up

'There's no accountability': Tantallon property contaminated, but no one will clean it up

Brink said at the time, her family made a few calls to find out what could be done, including to the Environment Department, but nothing much came of it. They tested their well water and the results showed it was safe. It wasn't until last year that Brink's daughter, Margret Holland, received the results of a freedom of information request and learned that the commercial property and her mother's property are contaminated with total petroleum hydrocarbons, including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene. 

Latest sampling around CFD Mountainview shows PFAS and benzene remain

Latest sampling around CFD Mountainview shows PFAS and benzene remain

The Department of National Defence continues to investigate the discovery of harmful chemicals in the area of CFD Mountainview in Prince Edward County. The DND has been working since spring of 2021 to address the issue after per- and polyfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) and benzene were discovered near the landfill at the detachment. The PFAS on the property are thought to mostly be related to the past use of firefighting foams for training while the benzene may be the result of past fuel use storage practices.

City to continue talks with Transport Canada to find potable water solution

City to continue talks with Transport Canada to find potable water solution

The City of Sault Ste. Marie will continue to urge Transport Canada to provide an acceptable solution that will see potable water available at the Pointe Des Chenes campground and day park. But that doesn’t change the status of the campground – at least until potable water is available. Council confirmed that they want staff to continue to press the issue with the federal government, specifically Transport Canada, who is said to be the root cause of the benzene concentrations in the water supply.

The movement to address environmental racism is growing. This bill could provide the data it needs

The movement to address environmental racism is growing. This bill could provide the data it needs

Activists say Aamjiwnaang is one of many examples in Canada of environmental racism, which is defined as the disproportionate exposure that Indigenous, Black and other racialized communities have to environmental hazards. "I didn't actually hear the term environmental racism until about 15 years ago — it wasn't until I was able to connect with other First Nations people across Canada to see what they were experiencing," said Nahmabin. "Now I realize that absolutely, this applies to here."

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