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.
The WATER (Waterloo Aquatic Threats in Environmental Research) facility is now one of the largest aquatic test facilities in Ontario and has the capability of studying a wide range of aquatic organisms, from Canadian coldwater fish to tropical fish and amphibians. The facility is also equipped to trace the multi-generational effects different environmental stresses may have on aquatic life over multiple lifespans.
Fish have a lot to stress about right now. This could mean serious problems for the future of aquaculture and the fish on your plate. The new Waterloo Aquatic Threats in Environmental Research (WATER) facility at the University of Waterloo aims to simulate and research aquatic stressors and threats so that we are better prepared to prevent current and future problems.
While some experts say the government is doing a good job harnessing the economic potential of the so-called blue economy, there’s also room to grow in an important file that impacts diverse and marginalized communities. The “blue economy” is an “economy driven by sustainable, ocean resources, and accounts,” according to the federal government, and refers the ways in which oceans and water “can contribute to the economy in a sustainable way,” Hannah Kacary wrote for the Environmental Careers Organization (ECO) of Canada.
