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.
Drivers in Fredericton can blame inflation — at least in part — every time they encounter a pothole. The soaring cost of goods and services brought on by inflation means the City of Fredericton needs to spend more money replacing its aging infrastructure, including roads, water pipes and buses. City treasurer Alicia Keating says inflation has meant infrastructure is not being replaced when it should, and the city is falling behind on its obligation to replace assets before they break.
Fredericton councillors have agreed in principle to hold off on a rate increase to residents' water bills next year, despite concerns that doing so will put the city behind on needed infrastructure upgrades. City treasurer Alicia Keating, who laid out the proposed 2023 water and sewer budget during a meeting Tuesday night, recommended the move. The city has in recent years been hiking water rates annually by about five per cent to help replace underground pipes and other aging infrastructure.
