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.
There is little doubt the Okanagan is on the front lines of climate change, living between drought and extreme fire seasons. The town of Oliver only received 2.5 millimetres of rain in May compared to the average of 34.7 mm over the past 30 years in that month. There is less water available per person in the Okanagan than anywhere else in Canada. The Okanagan also has one of the highest rates of water use per person in Canada.
