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.
Levels of morphine and methadone in Metro Vancouver’s wastewater were Canada’s highest in 2019 and 2020, a reflection of high crime rates and heroin use, says a recent Statistics Canada report. However, codeine levels in B.C. wastewater dropped in 2020 — possibly due the cancellation of surgeries during the pandemic and changes to drug regulations in British Columbia. The study said morphine is produced as a metabolite when the human body consumes heroin and shows up in wastewater.
Metro Vancouver has higher-than-average levels of opioids and methamphetamine in its waste-water system compared with other Canadian cities, according to a new Statistics Canada study analyzing cannabis and drug use in the country based on what Canadians flush down their toilets. In contrast, Vancouver reported less-than-average levels of cannabis in sewage, casting doubt on the city’s reputation as Canada’s cannabis capital.
