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.
Before Jennifer Steele and her husband moved into their home on Springfield Estates park in Middle Sackville, N.S., in 2013, they knew there was an issue with the water. She says she was told by someone else in the mobile home park that there was some "history" there. But it was affordable, she said. So they bought it.
A boil-water advisory for part of Cornwall, P.E.I., has been lifted, officials say. The order was put in place for dozens of homes in Chateau Estates and houses on Lakeview Drive this week. In a statement, Doug Longmoore, Cornwall's infrastructure manager, said water samples taken by the province on Friday came back clear. Residents may now use tap water as usual.
Water testing in the village of Roche Percee has revealed E. coli contamination, and a boil-water order has been initiated, the provincial Ministry of Health said Friday The order is applicable for the entire community and other individuals who access water from Roche Percee, about 20 kilometres southeast of Estevan. "It's been an ongoing crisis here for a while," Mayor Jay Riedel said. "We've gone through a flood in 2011 when six to seven feet of water was here, which compromised a lot of stuff in this area. "Our water levels in wells are low and without the rain, when we need to keep them full, we're usually down at the bottom all the time."
The village of Alma continues to be under a boil-water order first instated Friday. Early Friday morning, a lighting storm took out the electronics that control the village water pump. Restaurants closed that morning, and by Saturday the pump was back up and running. But residents were asked to continue to conserve water and to boil it before ingesting it. Alma Mayor Andrew Casey said the village needs three consecutive good water tests taken 24 hours apart to lift the advisory. Until then, residents must bring water to a rolling boil for at least one minute before ingesting it, brushing their teeth or washing food.
The elected leader of a remote First Nation in B.C. which has been under a boil-water order for 18 years says he’s confident his community will eventually find a solution to its drinking water woes — regardless of which party is elected federally this year. Chief Jimmy Lulua’s comments to the Star came a day after Canada’s new Indigenous Services minister boasted Ottawa has made “progress” on the First Nations drinking water crisis to mark World Water Day on Friday.
