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.
If you used water today to brush your teeth, cook or quench your thirst, you should probably thank a wetland. World Wetlands Day, celebrated annually on February 2, is an opportunity to learn about the value and importance of wetlands. This year, it also serves as an opportunity to double down on our efforts to protect these vital natural spaces that are disappearing before our eyes. In a rapidly changing world, the more wetlands we lose, the more valuable the ones that remain.
An independent panel is urging the Yukon government to develop a wetlands policy to protect unique streams, bogs, fens and peatland from mining because there are no known ways to fully restore these sensitive ecosystems once disturbed. Wetlands filter water, provide habitat to species and sequester carbon but are quickly being lost to development worldwide — an issue drawing attention on World Wetlands Day Feb. 2.
