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.
Wildfires can alter landscapes in a few ways; they remove vegetation that would otherwise provide stabilization and absorption to the ground, and they can alter the soil composition itself. If a fire burns hot enough, or is persistent enough, it can change some compounds in the soil to make the soil hydrophobic. Meaning any heavy rainfall that occurs in the affected area will simply pool on the ground surface, as the soil will repel the water.
“I think it is time for Indigenous leaders and communities to take a look at how much participation in resource extraction is too much and how to mitigate some of these things and push towards water conservation and other things we know will help to curb forest fires,” said Houle. A hot and dry spring has meant that there has been little precipitation to help firefighters battle the blazes.
Flooding in B.C.'s Interior has destroyed one home and forced several others to be evacuated, according to the local fire chief. Evacuation orders are now in place for five properties — including the local firehall — in the Village of Cache Creek, B.C., where a local state of emergency was declared on May 1 as the nearby creek and river threatened homes in the area and posed an "imminent threat to people and property."
After visiting Hay River, N.W.T., Premier Caroline Cochrane said she felt "heartbroken" witnessing the destruction caused by the flooding. The community of nearly 4,000 was evacuated in mid-May as flood waters rose, causing widespread damage. Residents have been returning over the past week to discover the condition of their homes. "Some of the homes and properties are fine. Other properties, minimal damage. But some properties were devastated. They're totally gone. And the water lines up to above their windows," said Cochrane.
An independent panel is urging the Yukon government to develop a wetlands policy to protect unique streams, bogs, fens and peatland from mining because there are no known ways to fully restore these sensitive ecosystems once disturbed. Wetlands filter water, provide habitat to species and sequester carbon but are quickly being lost to development worldwide — an issue drawing attention on World Wetlands Day Feb. 2.
