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.
Surrey city staff will begin removing derelict boats on the Nicomekl River in South Surrey, with help from Transport Canada. Derelict boats have been illegally mooring on a narrow section of the river and have been dumping raw sewage and garbage into the water, according to a city news release Wednesday. Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke says the river has many spots where boats can legally drop anchor, so there is no reason for any boater to illegally moor their vessel.
The mayor of Hay River says she'll keep "pounding the table" when it comes to the issue of dredging — or lack thereof — in the community's shipping channel that pours into Great Slave Lake, and she hopes "people are listening." Hay River is a hub for Canadian Coast Guard operations and shipping further North. However, in parts of the channel is a buildup of sediment, which sometimes creates obstacles for boats passing through.
Prince Edward Islanders are being asked to take extra care when moving their boats around this fall. The Nature Conservancy of Canada is concerned about the spread of Eurasian water milfoil, also known as zombie plant. The invasive species has been reported at a few sites on P.E.I. "It's a challenging one to manage," said Andrew Holland, national media relations director with NCC.
People from both sides of the Ottawa River took to the water to protest the construction of a nuclear waste disposal site at the Chalk River power plant. More than a dozen boats took part in the demonstration to say the federal government should heed their warnings about the potential dangers the dump presents for the health of the water.
