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.
Okanagan Lake is not going to turn into an ocean-like salty body of water anytime soon. But recent chloride measurements at various points along the lake taken by the Ministry of Environment do indicate an upward trend. And while the Okanagan Basin Water Board (OKWB) has no imminent concerns about the current threat the lake water getting saltier poses on aquatic life or drinking water, it remains on its monitoring radar.