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 benefits of conserving wetlands for wildlife and recreation have long been established, but emerging research is determining that wetlands are a powerful climate mitigation tool. Already recognized as one of the most effective ecosystems at trapping and sequestering carbon and proven to act as a strong natural defence against flooding in the face of extreme weather, new research suggests we can add climate-cooling to the impressive list of wetland benefits.
