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.
The mayor of Fort Simpson, N.W.T. said he is feeling trepidation as May approaches, after the community dealt with devastating flooding that time last year. Sean Whelly said the combination of snowfall and water levels, plus a late spring is raising anxieties in the town. "We've been warned by the territorial government that we're at high risk to experience some flooding again this year, so we're concerned," he said.
