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.
On a rock-covered beach in the heart of the Ring of Fire in northern Ontario, Alex Moonias gazes east, then north. All he sees is undisturbed land, water and air. Some 100 kilometres from where he stands, the province plans to build a road as part of its pledge to mine the area, which is said to be rich in metals needed for electric vehicle batteries.
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.
Justin Thompson and Matt Kumlin walk up a hill toward a ridge in the Alberta foothills as a border collie and “cow-dog-in-training” named Newt tags along. At the top of the ridge, the snow-capped Rocky Mountains are visible to the west. Calgary’s downtown is about 40 kilometres to the east. More than six square kilometres of the property around them has been protected by the Kumlin family with a conservation easement, which restricts land uses that could damage its ecological health.
Environmental advocates say a proposed suburban development in southeast Calgary would be built on a environmentally sensitive area. There are concerns construction could mean the destruction of thriving natural wetlands and a riparian area along the Bow River. Ricardo Ranch is a 570-hectare area south of Seton. Its area structure plan was approved by city council in 2019. In July, the city gave the green light for three communities in Ricardo Ranch: Seton Ridge, Logan Landing and Nostalgia.
A Dartmouth, N.S., councillor says work is underway to keep city beaches safe for swimming, including discouraging pigeons from roosting nearby and collecting storm water so it doesn't run into the lakes. But Coun. Sam Austin admits the amount of development around some lakes, such as Lake Banook in Dartmouth, poses significant challenges to water quality this time of year.
Town council has approved a bid from a company to construct a model for its water infrastructure project. Council voted in favour of directing staff to accept a bid from WSP Canada Inc. for the development and calibration of a water distribution system model for $162,872. The bid was significantly higher than the one submitted by Triton, something Mayor Allan Alls noted. “I must admit, when I first saw the difference in money, I was concerned,” Alls said. “When you read the report, you see Triton wasn’t offering all the services that WSP was offering.”
The Government of Canadian announced strategic investments of $44.3 million in 11 Canadian cleantech companies, including North Vancouver’s Ecoation Innovative Solutions Inc. (ecoation), to further advance Canada’s position as a leader in the rapidly evolving clean technology market. Water Treatment Axine Water Technologies Inc. in Vancouver BC, receives $6.2M for the development and demonstration of a second generation, digitized wastewater treatment system.
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.
