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

challenges

BEYOND LOCAL: Freshwater basins drying up increases threat to ecosystem, communities

BEYOND LOCAL: Freshwater basins drying up increases threat to ecosystem, communities

When people use freshwater beyond a physically sustainable rate, it sets off a cascade of impacts on ecosystems, people and the planet. These impacts include groundwater wells running dry, fish populations becoming stranded before they are able to spawn and protected wetland ecosystems turning into dry landscapes. Developments in computer models and satellites have fostered a new understanding of how freshwater is being redistributed around the planet and have made clear the central role that people play in this change. This human impact is so significant that organizations like the United States Geological Survey are redrawing their water cycle diagram to include the impacts of human actions.

Clean Water Act at 50: environmental gains, challenges unmet

Clean Water Act at 50: environmental gains, challenges unmet

Lifelong Cleveland resident Steve Gove recalls when the Cuyahoga River symbolized shame — fetid, lifeless, notorious for catching fire when sparks from overhead rail cars ignited the oil-slicked surface. “It was pretty grungy,” said the 73-year-old, an avid canoeist in his youth who sometimes braved the filthy stretch through the steelmaking city. “When you went under those bridges where the trains were hauling coke from the blast furnaces, you had to watch for cinders and debris falling off.” It wasn’t the only polluted U.S. river. But outrage over a 1969 Cuyahoga fire — the latest in a series of environmental disasters including a 3-million-gallon oil spill off California’s Santa Barbara months earlier — is widely credited with inspiring the Clean Water Act of 1972.

'It's just time for some new experiences': Iqaluit CAO Amy Elgersma resigns from city

'It's just time for some new experiences': Iqaluit CAO Amy Elgersma resigns from city

Elgersma moved to the city in 1999 and began work as a lifeguard at the swimming pool at the Frobisher Inn, then worked her way up into youth programming and to director of recreation. In the four years Elgersma held the position as CAO, the city saw a number of disasters, like when Iqaluit's biggest store, Northmart, caught fire, and several water emergencies. "There's definitely been some some challenges," she said.

50-year international partnership on Great Lakes makes progress, but challenges lie ahead

50-year international partnership on Great Lakes makes progress, but challenges lie ahead

It's been 50 years since Canada and the U.S. signed the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, meant to restore and protect the Great Lakes, and a new report is showing what's changed over that time and what challenges are ahead. According the the annual report, the Great Lakes overall assessment is "fair" with an "unchanging" trend, which is due to the "tremendous progress to restore and protect the Great Lakes" over the last few decades. The evaluation is based on a set of indicators officials watch.

Q and A with the experts: Current and future challenges facing Canada’s groundwater supply

Q and A with the experts: Current and future challenges facing Canada’s groundwater supply

World Water Day, annually observed by the United Nations on March 22, celebrates water and raises awareness to the billions of people living without access to safe water. This year’s theme is groundwater: making the invisible visible. But what are the current and future challenges facing this natural resource in Canada? University of Waterloo’s Earth and environmental sciences professor and groundwater expert David Rudolph answers this and other questions.

Freezing weather compounds challenges for B.C. farmers dealing with flood aftermath

Freezing weather compounds challenges for B.C. farmers dealing with flood aftermath

Dave Martens is working on rebuilding his poultry farm and his home, which he hasn't been able to live in since the Sumas Prairie region east of Abbotsford, B.C., was hit by floods triggered by historic rainfall in November. "Currently I'm at the point of trying to dry things out still," said Martens of the two farm houses he owns, one of which he lives in. "You hear people talk about people being back in their homes and things like that. That might be true for some, but not the majority."

Taps flow again in Long Plain First Nation after water ran dry

Taps flow again in Long Plain First Nation after water ran dry

Long Plain First Nation had to call on help from its neighbours over the weekend after its water supply ran dry on Friday. Now as tanker trucks haul water from nearby Portage la Prairie to replenish the First Nation's reservoir, leaders in the First Nation are searching for a long-term solution. "I think people are quite concerned by it," Chief Dennis Meeches said about the persistently hot and dry conditions, which drained aquifers that feed the community's reservoir.

Positive year for SaskWater according to annual report

Positive year for SaskWater according to annual report

In SaskWater’s recently released 2020-21 Annual Report highlights included a number of bright spots for the Crown corporation in a year marked by significant challenges. Despite the complexities of staff working remotely and the adjustments needed to ensure safe working conditions for essential workers, SaskWater customers did not experience service interruptions attributed to the pandemic.

Kortright Hills students video on reusable water wins national energy competition

Kortright Hills students video on reusable water wins national energy competition

Kortright Hills Public School is among five schools across Canada to win a video challenge that promotes energy conservation. The team Water Rockers from Kortright participated in the Classroom Energy Diet Challenge, a joint initiative supported by Canadian Geographic and Shell Canada that saw over 550 classrooms participate in 17 challenges related to energy conservation for prizes totalling $45,000. Wearing masks and holding up signs, Kortright students were seen sharing the environmental, financial and health benefits of using a reusable water bottle in their video which received 25,531 votes and won $1,500.

Indigenous communities face unique challenges in funding infrastructure projects, experts say

Indigenous communities face unique challenges in funding infrastructure projects, experts say

A glaring example of this is the number of First Nations communities still dealing with long-term drinking water advisories. While the federal Liberal government pledged in 2015 to end all drinking water advisories by March of this year, 52 long-term advisories were in effect in 33 First Nation communities as of early April. According to Gale, Indigenous communities are increasingly taking matters into their own hands in leading and partnering in infrastructure projects. However, those projects tend to be small in size, typically valued at less than $25 million.

Water: Preserving a precious commodity

Water: Preserving a precious commodity

McGill Bioresource Engineering Professor Chandra Madramootoo – a member of the steering committee of the Global Framework on Water Scarcity in Agriculture – expands on the theme of this year’s World Water Day: Valuing Water, and describes the goals of the federal government’s Canada Water Agency, which is in the process of being created. He is contributing to this effort.

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