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.
Tragedy five years ago that claimed the lives of a father and his four children on the Oneida Nation of the Thames in Ontario has the community insistent that the federal government work with them to meet their water needs. On Dec. 15, the First Nation declared a state of emergency and ordered community members to start conserving water. The water alert was issued after a member reported his tap water was coming out brown, consistent with a high iron content. An investigation indicated that the level of the aquifer from the Thames River that feeds into the Oneida water tower is low. The tower services 546 homes and 22 community buildings.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced its new environmental strategy, a comprehensive effort to join global efforts to tackle climate change. It includes commitments to achieve enterprise-wide net zero carbon emissions and plans to use more renewable energy, as well as to invest in and research new technologies to develop energy-efficient products, increase water reuse and develop carbon capture technology.
The Town of Antigonish, N.S., is ordering all town and area water utility customers to begin conserving water. The order came into effect Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. and will remain until water levels at the James River Dam return to normal. The town's chief administrative officer Jeff Lawrence told CBC's Maritime Noon the water behind the dam is one metre below spilling.
In the Okanagan, water conservation is a year-round effort. But with warmer summer temperatures now upon us, it’s time to start prioritizing our outdoor water smarts. Everyone has a part to play in conserving water and protecting our changing valley for future generations. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to step up and become a water hero this summer: Schedule a free irrigation assessment to ensure your system is working efficiently, collect rainwater in barrels and use it for irrigation, water between midnight and 6 a.m., treat your yard well: let your grass grow long, sharpen your mower blade and over-seed your lawn. Learn more about proper lawn maintenance at Kelowna.ca/watersmart
The average Hamilton home will be charged $39.05 more for water next year, but city officials insist the increase is necessary to do infrastructure upgrades, handle climate change, and clean up Hamilton Harbour. City council approved a 4.98 per cent increase to local water bills Wednesday, despite numbers that show people are getting better at conserving water. And Hamilton Water staff predict even steeper increases every year until 2026.
The City of Cornwall is set to implement a water-meter program, which will come into effect in 2025. Cornwall city council narrowly voted 5-4 in favour of approving the implementation of the program during a special meeting on Tuesday. Couns. Elaine MacDonald, Justin Towndale, Carilyne Hébert, Dean Hollingsworth and Mayor Glen Grant voted in favour, whereas Couns. Syd Gardiner, Claude McIntosh, Eric Bergeron and Denis Carr voted against it. Couns. Todd Bennett and Maurice Dupelle were absent from the meeting.
Manitoba Hydro doesn't expect to generate enough electricity this winter to meet its export budget, thanks to months of dry conditions across the Lake Winnipeg watershed. The Crown corporation is trying to hold back as much water as possible to ensure Manitobans have enough electricity this winter. But there won't be enough water flowing through the Nelson River to allow the province to meet its targets for exporting power outside its borders.
As the climate continues to warm at an alarming rate, experts warn if dramatic steps to mitigate global warming are not taken, the effects in Canada’s Prairie region will be devastating to the country’s agriculture sector. According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, the country is warming, on average, about double the global rate. Scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the U.S. recently found 2020 was earth’s second-hottest year on record, with the average land and ocean surface temperature across the globe at 0.98 of a degree C above the 20th-century average. However, the agency found the northern hemisphere saw its hottest year on record, at 1.28 degrees C above the average.
