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.
Water levels in rivers and lakes of the central and southern Northwest Territories are at — or near — record lows this year after an extremely hot and dry stretch lasting months. "It's been steadily decreasing all summer and, as a result, the Mackenzie River downstream is also extremely low and record low at different locations," said Ryan Connon, a hydrologist with the Government of the Northwest Territories.
The latest ice breakup forecast for Yukon suggests there may be some flooding in the Dawson City area this spring, though not likely in town. "We assess the flood risk as low for Dawson City proper, the town itself, because it is protected by the dike," said Anthony Bier, the Yukon government's acting senior hydrologist. It's been a cool spring so far in the Dawson area, and a lot of snow fell over the winter. The amount of snow on the ground — called the snowpack — is higher than it usually is, meaning more water hitting the rivers once things start melting.
The company has partnered with 13 Mi'kmaw bands in the province under the auspices of Wskijnu'k Mtmo'taqnuow Agency Ltd. Environment Minister Tim Halman's approval comes with conditions for both projects, including stipulations concerning water, wildlife and habitat, air, noise and the visual impact, public engagement, contingency planning and site reclamation.
The Manitoba government has extended its state of emergency declaration in Whiteshell Provincial Park as water levels remain higher than normal. Although conditions have improved on the Winnipeg River and many lakes and streams, some areas of the southeastern Manitoba park remain hazardous, the province's Environment, Climate and Parks department said in a news release Friday. The original state of emergency declaration was set to expire June 19. The new one will expire on July 18, although it could be rescinded before then if it is no longer needed.
Yukon Energy has entered into an agreement with Atlin, B.C.'s Tlingit Homeland Energy Limited Partnership to buy renewable energy from its proposed $206-million hydro expansion project for 40 years beginning in late 2024. "It's a pretty significant deal for us," said Andrew Hall, president and CEO of Yukon Energy. "[It] gives us certainty around the details of how we would purchase the power, what price we pay." He said Yukon Energy will pay less or the same amount it would otherwise pay for electricity generated using liquefied natural gas and diesel.
Amid the challenges of a global pandemic, an early-stage researcher at McGill University has been recognized for his innovative work to remove microplastics during water treatment, ensuring safe drinking water and helping to combat the growing environmental problem of microplastic accumulation in aquatic ecosystems, soils and surface waters. The breakthrough work has earned Mathieu Lapointe the Mitacs Award for Outstanding Innovation — Postdoctoral, awarded by Mitacs, a national innovation organization that fosters growth by solving business challenges with research solutions from academic institutions.
