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.
Councillors want the City of Ottawa to renegotiate its contract with a company offering insurance-like plans for damaged service lines as they demand an end to city-branded mail-outs that have infuriated residents. If that isn't possible, they want the city to break its agreement with Service Line Warranties of Canada (SLWC) altogether.
“After two years of severe drought, it is more critical than ever that we utilize our water resources as wisely as possible,” said board chair Leonard Lee in a press release. “The installation of water meters will help our community better understand their own consumption and will allow the SCRD to make efficiencies to further secure water supply for the region.” The leak detection and user water consumption benefits were highlighted in the release. "It is common for communities to realize a reduction in water consumption by 20% to 30%."
SANEXEN Environmental Services Inc. ("SANEXEN"), a subsidiary of LOGISTEC Corporation ("LOGISTEC") has won the bid for the environmental remediation project of the former Aleris plant site in Trois-Rivières, Québec. With an estimated duration of four years, this large-scale project will be completed for the Québec Ministère de l'Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs, in order to give this vast land back to the community.
The City of St. John's is scheduling rehabilitation work for water mains on streets in the Churchill Square area in 2022 and 2023. Work will begin in early September and is expected to be finished in November. There is also some work scheduled for spring 2023, expected to be completed in fall 2023. The project will include cleaning and structural lining of the existing water mains. The City of St. John’s awarded Fer-Pal Construction Ltd. the contract to complete the work.
The City of Iqaluit has awarded Tower Arctic Ltd. an $800,000 contract to clean three contaminated underground water tanks at the city’s water treatment plant. City councillors voted unanimously during Tuesday’s council meeting to hire the company to remediate the North and South Clear wells and the mixing chamber at the plant. The tanks were contaminated by fuel last fall and winter. Tower Arctic Ltd. had the lowest of three bids, the highest coming in at nearly $6 million.
Aecon Group Inc. (TSX: ARE) announced today that Graham-Aecon Joint Venture, a 50/50 consortium between Aecon and Graham Construction, has been awarded a $273 million design-build contract by the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Corporation (BPWTC) for the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant Renewal Project near Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Aecon's share of the contract will be added to its Construction segment backlog in the second quarter of 2022.
The province has committed to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of a critical piece of infrastructure in western Manitoba. KGS Group Ltd. has been awarded the contract for the reconstruction of the Rivers Dam on Lake Wahtopanah, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Doyle Piwniuk announced Tuesday in Rivers, Man. The dam controls water levels on the lake, which also serves as a provincial park that is home to a number of cottages.
Council will examine a $9,002,000 cost for the construction of Wellington’s water storage tank and bulk water filling station – over budget by $992,772. For Tuesday night’s council meeting, a staff report recommends a contract be awarded to the sole bidder, Landmark Structures Co. Garrett Osborne, project manager, notes in his report to council that the number of companies that construct these tanks is limited, so a single bid was not unexpected. In response to concern about low water pressure and the ability to handle future development, capital work reports were brought to council in 2019 for discussion. In the 20-year plan, the cost for water system improvements were estimated at $10-15 million – those costs were expected to be higher now mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain costs. The 1960s water system in Wellington has been modified over the years.
Over a quarter of a century after the last rock truck wound its way out of the Faro mine pit, it appears a long-sought route to remediation is underway. On February 15, Canada signed a $108 million contract with Parsons Inc. for construction management and two years of care and maintenance on the Faro mine site. Parsons, one of the largest players in remediation in the world, boasts that their “contract could span over 20 years and exceed $2 billion.”
You will not be able to buy bottled water from vending machines in city of Ottawa facilities by the end of June, as the city aims to eliminate the sale of plastic water bottles in facilities. In a report for the Community and Protective Services Committee, staff say the city has worked with Coca Cola to eliminate water bottles from vending machines by the end of the second quarter.
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.
The contract to build the new wastewater treatment plant in North Vancouver, B.C., will be terminated, according to the regional district in charge of the project, but the building company says it's still working on it. The head of the Metro Vancouver Regional District says it lost confidence in Acciona, the contractor company, after long construction delays and a rising price tag. Jerry Dobrovolny, chief administrative officer for the regional district, says the cost has risen double the original estimate of $500 million.
Ellen Page made the town council of Shelburne, N.S., an offer they couldn't refuse. The Nova Scotia-born actor, filmmaker and activist had been pledging financial support to help a non-profit group in the South Shore town build a community well. But at a recent council meeting, elected officials turned down Page's offer amid concerns it wouldn't be enough to cover the cost of the project at a time when the town is facing a crippling financial position that could see the end of its status as a municipality. hat decision did not deter Page. "She just stepped up and she just said, 'Well, I'll pay whatever they want,'" said Louise Delisle, whose community group, South End Environmental Injustice Society, has pushed for the well.
Moncton plans to spend $6 million this winter to upgrade its water treatment plant, the first phase of a plan to deal with cyanobacteria in the municipal water supply. Cyanobacteria was found in 2017 in the Turtle Creek watershed, the drinking water source for Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview. Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, can form blooms and produce toxins harmful to humans and animals. The water remains safe to drink and the multimillion dollar upgrades are meant to keep it that way.
The union that represents more than 100 workers at Saskatoon's water and wastewater treatment plants have turned down an offer from the city. Earlier this week, workers in Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 47 voted 93 per cent against the city's latest offer. The union has been without a contract since January 2017.
