Nicole Hancock
Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony ...

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.

Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony to heal Chedoke Creek

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Mailout to residents from Service Line Warranties of Canada

Mailout to residents from Service Line Warranties of Canada

Ottawa residents can expect letters from Service Line Warranties of Canada (SLWC) to reach their mailboxes in the coming weeks. The letters will provide homeowners with detailed information related to the optional and voluntary Service Line Warranties program, including coverage options and the enrollment process for interested residents. Water and sewer/septic service lines, including the stormwater sewer line, connect a homeowner’s property to the City’s water and wastewater systems. Homeowners are responsible for repairs to the portion of the service lines located on their property. If a leak, break or clog occurs in the private portion of these lines, the homeowner is responsible for hiring a plumber and paying any of the associated repair costs.

Construction of Ontario’s Greenstone Gold Mine hits milestone

Construction of Ontario’s Greenstone Gold Mine hits milestone

A major milestone for the project was the commissioning of the Permanent Effluent Water Treatment Plant, which started discharging clean water to Kenogamisis Lake from the plant site in October, said general manager Eric Lamontagne during the update. The plant treats contact waters from the mine site as well as collected seepage from historical tailings.

Aecon consortium wins civil construction contract for John Hart Dam Seismic Upgrade

Aecon consortium wins civil construction contract for John Hart Dam Seismic Upgrade

Aecon-EBC General Partnership (AEGP), a consortium led by Aecon (60%) and including EBC (40%), has been awarded the first phase of a $245 million two-phase civil construction contract for the John Hart Dam Seismic Upgrade project on the Campbell River in British Columbia, Canada. The scope of work involves upgrading earth stabilizing infrastructure to improve the seismic resiliency of the existing John Hart Dam.

Area resident challenges Town of Antigonish over runoff from solar garden project

Area resident challenges Town of Antigonish over runoff from solar garden project

Ed Gillis lives next door to the new community solar garden being built in Antigonish, N.S. He's been fighting with the town over many issues, including one he thinks could have major environmental ramifications. The town clear cut a large section of land for the three megawatt solar garden right up to his property line. He said that shouldn't have happened due to a number of large sinkholes in the wooded area and proximity to a small river. "This goes back to March, and it's now December, that I have brought forward concerns," he said. Those concerns are sediment and other matter going into the river.

Construction work provides lake oasis for Canada Geese

Construction work provides lake oasis for Canada Geese

Canada Geese have been hanging around Portage at a particular spot on Crescent Lake recently. It seems to be due to the provision of open water caused by, of all things, the construction going on on 18th St SW. Water is being pumped from storm drains on the street into the lake, keeping the ice from building up around that location. A hose is running beneath some compacted fill on Crescent Road over to the Lake area.

Rock wall raises questions about rules for shoreline development on P.E.I.

Rock wall raises questions about rules for shoreline development on P.E.I.

A rock wall under construction on the beach at Point Deroche, P.E.I., is raising discussion about what is acceptable to protect the shoreline from erosion. Bryson Guptill, an avid hiker of trails and beaches, first noticed the rock wall and beach house development months ago. "It's a problem because people used to walk down that beach and walk all the way along. Now there's so much armour stone that you can't get around. Even at low tide you can't get around."

Shoring up the shoreline: work underway to address erosion along Detroit River in Windsor

Shoring up the shoreline: work underway to address erosion along Detroit River in Windsor

In the wake of erosion, efforts are underway to protect a section of shoreline on the Detroit River in Windsor. The work is happening at the foot of Mill Street near HMCS Hunter and Queens Dock Park. Windsor's harbourmaster, Peter Berry, explained that exceptionally high water levels in some recent years caused flooding near the shore and there was an "incredible amount" of erosion.

Construction of new water treatment plant in West Kelowna on home stretch

Construction of new water treatment plant in West Kelowna on home stretch

The completion of the new Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant project is creeping closer. The City of West Kelowna has initiated the project's final phase — constructing 3.7 kilometres of water transmission mains that will connect residents on the West Kelowna Estates and Sunnyside/Pritchard water systems to the new Rose Valley Water Service Area.

Buffalo Pound water plant renewal project officially underway

Buffalo Pound water plant renewal project officially underway

Construction has officially begun on the $325.6-million Buffalo Pound water treatment plant renewal project. A number of MLAs, mayors, board members, employees and more were in attendance for the first shovels hitting the ground in Buffalo Pound Monday. The plant will serve communities such as Regina, Moose Jaw, Grand Coulee, Pense, Bethune and several other communities with clean drinking water. In total, more than 260,000 people in the area will access the water. “This treatment plant has served the residents of Regina and Moose Jaw with safe, high-quality drinking water and frankly we don’t exist without it,” said Regina Mayor Sandra Masters.

Grimsby water infrastructure set for repair after $1.9M government grant secured

Grimsby water infrastructure set for repair after $1.9M government grant secured

Grimsby’s aging downtown water infrastructure is set to be upgraded thanks to funding from two upper levels of government. On April 18, the Town of Grimsby was awarded a $1.9-million grant to replace the water mains, service pipes and fire hydrants on Main and Elm streets. The project will include the replacement of the old cast-iron water pipes with ones made from PVC. The design phase of the program will start in 2023, with construction expected to begin in 2024.

Notre-Dame Street merchants reach construction compromise with Sud-Ouest borough

Notre-Dame Street merchants reach construction compromise with Sud-Ouest borough

Some Montreal merchants who were upset about major upcoming repair work on a stretch of Notre-Dame Street West in Little Burgundy, are hoping their summer terrasse season can be salvaged. This comes as the Sud-Ouest borough has tweaked its schedule to wrap construction a bit early. Work to fix the street's 100-year-old water main between Vinet and Atwater Streets will begin as planned in mid-April, but will end before the end of June, instead of stretching into July.

Work Getting Underway On Nawash Water Plant

Work Getting Underway On Nawash Water Plant

Construction and upgrades of the water treatment plant at Neyaashiinigmiing are getting underway. A release from The Chippewas of Nawash Unceeded First Nation says a groundbreaking ceremony was held on March 21st. Last July, $59.8 million in federal funding was announced for the planned water treatment plant. Indigenous Services Canada’s website says the Cape Croker Public Water system has had a boil water advisory since January 2019, which became a long-term advisory the following year.

BBGI invests in InPower BC

BBGI invests in InPower BC

BBGI Global Infrastructure S.A. has completed an investment in InPower BC General Partnership, the entity responsible for delivering the John Hart Generating Station Replacement Project in Canada. The company said it made the CA$41 million investment through its existing strategic partnership with SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. The public-private partnership project consisted of the design, construction, financing, maintenance and rehabilitation of a new three-turbine, 132MW hydroelectric power generation station on the Campbell River, British Columbia, including a three generating unit underground powerhouse, 2.1 km of water passage tunnels and a water bypass system to protect downstream fish habitat. The new infrastructure replaces the outdated above ground facilities which were built in 1947 with a more reliable, seismically robust and environmentally friendly facility. The project is Canada's first public-private partnership project in the hydropower sector.

$288M contract awarded for Vancouver water tunnel

$288M contract awarded for Vancouver water tunnel

Traylor-Aecon General Partnership has been awarded a $288 million contract by Metro Vancouver for the Annacis Water Supply Tunnel, Fraser River Crossing project in B.C. The partnership is a consortium comprised of Aecon (40 per cent) and Traylor Bros Inc. (60 per cent). Aecon Group Inc. announced its share of the contract will be added to its construction segment backlog in the first quarter of 2022.

Construction contaminates well water in area near Montfort Hospital, residents say

Construction contaminates well water in area near Montfort Hospital, residents say

If the developer's proposal is approved, residents say they're worried the required deep drilling and excavation could leave their water undrinkable. It's a problem homeowners said they've watched emerge over decades of routine testing. "We seem to be in a kind of Groundhog Day scenario as each development comes up," said Al Crosby, who has lived in Fairhaven since 1978.

Construction on long-awaited Springbank reservoir to protect Calgary area from floods is officially a go

Construction on long-awaited Springbank reservoir to protect Calgary area from floods is officially a go

The Alberta government says it has secured all the land it needs to make construction officially a go on a long-awaited reservoir needed to protect Calgary and surrounding communities from disastrous floods — like the one that killed five people and caused billions of dollars in damages in 2013. The $432-million Springbank off-stream reservoir will redirect water from the Elbow River into a dry reservoir should extreme flood events occur. With up to $168.5 million in federal funding, the reservoir will be built on about 1,497 hectares of land near the rural community of Springbank, which is west and upstream of Calgary.

Greenstone Mine officially under construction

Greenstone Mine officially under construction

Towedo, along with other First Nation chiefs at the ceremony, made reference to the mine being a steward of the land, ensuring it protects water and other natural resources. The mine will relocate tailings from a former tailings site for the McLeod-Mosher and Hardrock Mine. The movement of the tailings is slated to actually improve water quality in neighbouring Kenogamisis Lake, and reduce the amount of arsenic in Barton Bay and the Central Basin.

Bashaw home owner says town won’t deal with bad drainage problem

Bashaw home owner says town won’t deal with bad drainage problem

A Bashaw property owner wants the Town of Bashaw to do more with a serious drainage problem on her property. Hazel Brooks, 82, who’s lived at her current property since 2011, told the ECA Review in a July 15 phone interview that she owns two adjacent lots which had no serious drainage issues before the construction of a major new building in town. “Before this new school was built, there was no problem,” said Brooks, who added she never noticed water problems on her property until 2016.

Water treatment plant to be completed on First Nation in northern Ontario next year

Water treatment plant to be completed on First Nation in northern Ontario next year

Batchewana First Nation members have received some welcome news. It was announced this past week that a ground-breaking ceremony was staged for a water treatment plant expected to be fully functional on the First Nation in northern Ontario by the end of 2021. “They’re happy,” Chief Dean Sayers said of the Batchewana First Nation members who will have access to clean drinking water in their homes.

Sudburians brave Nepahwin’s freezing water to raise awareness of First Nations water woes

Sudburians brave Nepahwin’s freezing water to raise awareness of First Nations water woes

For the past month, Greater Sudbury’s Jordan Cheff has been taking dips in the freezing waters of Lake Nepahwin. November and December might seem like an odd time to visit the beach, but it’s all part of Cheff’s initiative, Cold Water 4 Clean Water, which aims to raise awareness of the issue of FIrst Nations communities in Canada that are living without clean water. The issue has been in the news lately, as the federal government says it will not meet a marquee pledge by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to lift all boil-water advisories in First Nations communities by March 2021.

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