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.
From green roofs in Toronto to Vancouver’s rain city strategy, Canadian cities are looking to become sponges in order to help mitigate some of the effects of extreme rainfalls. In Montreal, Mayor Valerie Plante announced last week that the city plans to develop some 30 additional sponge parks designed to catch and absorb rainwater and keep it from flowing into overburdened sewers during extreme rain.
The mayor of Glencoe, Ont., says the cost of cleaning up and repairing the damage from Wednesday's deadly rainstorm has pushed his rural community to ask the province for financial relief. Environment Canada said Wednesday the town received 135 millimetres of rain during a downpour that turned driveways into ponds, roads into streams and filled basements with sewage.
“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.
Over the last four months, you've sent us over 300 climate questions as part of the Great Lakes Climate Change Project. We've researched the most commonly asked questions and given you answers about extreme weather, our water supply, and how you can both take action and stay optimistic in the face of the climate crisis. Before we jump in, some general takeaways from your questions. Most readers did want to hear about the many ways climate change impacts our lives, but also wanted a focus on solutions. A lot of questions were concerned less with what's new and more on breaking down the long-term processes that have brought us to this point. That's what we'll be focusing on here.
New Brunswick is making changes to disaster financial assistance when it comes to payouts and buyouts. Public Safety Minister Kris Austin said that from 2014 to 2020, disaster assistance payouts in New Brunswick totalled around $335 million. The province is responsible for $76 million of that figure, the rest is covered by the federal government, he said. Speaking at a news conference this week, Austin said changes needed to be made because the government "cannot afford to continue with business as usual" as the frequency and intensity of weather events continues to increase.
Climate change is causing mild winter temperatures to become more frequent across the country, one extreme weather expert says. Parts of southern Ontario have seen unseasonably warm temperatures and rainfall warnings in recent days, with some local conservation authorities warning the public to stay away from waterways as water levels are expected to rise due to rain and melting snow.
The Prairie Blood coulee winds through a property on the Kainai Nation, also known as the Blood Tribe, in southern Alberta. On a warm fall day, about a dozen people haul willows, mulch, dirt and water to several spots along a dry creek bed. Some pound large posts into the ground. Technicians from Blood Tribe and volunteers from local environmental groups are building five beaver dam analogs, which mimic a natural logjam. They hope to restore the stream flow to help the landowner care for his animals and have more water for wildlife as the area experiences a decade-long drought.
With climate change and extreme weather becoming more frequent, people are encouraged to provide feedback about how best to prepare for future flooding in B.C. The Ministry of Forests and Emergency Management BC are releasing an intentions paper focused on specific actions to mitigate flooding, such as the fall 2021 atmospheric river. The intentions paper provides discussion points about improved assessment, decision-making, preparedness and response, and crucial investments to safeguard communities.
In the North, some mines risk leaking acid if the permafrost melts, while across Canada heavier rainfall will add strain to tailings dams and a lack of it could throw operations. While no strangers to extreme weather, the growing risks from climate change are forcing the mining industry to take a hard look at their methods, and how to prepare for the worst. Many of the most prudent actions to minimize risk are, however, also more costly, meaning that while some have taken them on, not everyone has followed suit.
Newfoundland and Labrador municipalities can't stop the impact of climate change, but two climate action consultants say more can be done prepare for extreme weather events. St. John's city crews scrambled this week to repair flood and erosion damage after three days of record-breaking rainfall from post-tropical storm Earl. As of Wednesday, four roads were still closed for repairs. Jess Puddister, a scientist and climate action consultant, said watching the damage play out was "frustrating."
Pope Francis‘s upcoming visit to Canada’s Arctic territory of Nunavut draws attention to a focal point for global climate change, with sea ice disappearing fast and permafrost thawing. Francis, who arrives in the capital Iqaluit of predominantly Indigenous Nunavut on Friday, is in Canada to apologize in person for the Roman Catholic Church’s role in abuses that residential schools inflicted on Indigenous children.
UBC experts are available to comment on flooding and extreme weather, in light of a state of emergency in Kelowna and other parts of western Canada. Climate science and natural disasters Dr. Susan Day Professor, Department of Forest Resources Management Email: susan.day@ubc.ca Phone: 604-822-6652 Interview Language(s): English: Urban forests, Urban soils, stormwater, water relations, plant response to climate stress to climate stress
Heavy rainfall on Friday and warmer temperatures through the week have parts of B.C.'s Interior and North preparing for the worst, as river levels and flood risk rise. Heavy rain is expected to continue through the weekend and temperatures are forecast to stay in the high teens. Hundreds of properties in B.C. are on evacuation alert, meaning residents should be prepared to leave at a moment's notice.
Well water Well water can become contaminated after extreme weather and flooding. Ensure your well water is safe during and after emergencies on the Government of Canada’s Be Well Aware page. General well water information Residents with private wells can get more information about well water maintenance and safety on the Durham Region Health Department’s Private wells page.
Severe thunderstorms and summer go hand-in-hand on the Prairies. And it's not your imagination that such weather events have been getting increasingly catastrophic over the past decade. In the prairies, the last few years have been marked by severe storms. Calgary alone has seen hail, funnel clouds and lightning strikes, with downpours that turned roads into rivers and stranded motorists in their cars.
Summerland will be looking at options for water fill and cooling stations for the community in the event of another extreme summer heat event. At the Summerland council meeting on Jan. 24, Coun. Erin Trainer presented a motion asking for $25,000 to be allocated from the Asset Management Reserve for the purchase of two portable water fill stations and two portable shade tents, and also for staff to research options for a permanent water fill station in Memorial Park.
Several families living in Abbotsford's Sumas Prairie have been denied bank loans they were counting on to help rebuild their damaged homes following November's devastating floods. A number of affected homeowners who spoke to CBC News say they've been told by their banks or credit unions their loan applications — home equity, mortgage refinancing and new lines of credit — have been declined or put on hold with no clear timeline because they cannot get their properties appraised. The organization representing Canada's appraisers says they take their direction from the banks.
A day after high tides and extreme weather battered parts of B.C.'s South Coast, many communities are assessing the damage. Flooding and dangerous conditions along waterfronts around the South Coast resulted in closures, warnings and damage to infrastructure like seawalls and piers. On Friday, the town of Qualicum Beach on the east coast of Vancouver Island said its seawall had been partially damaged, and asked the public to avoid the area.
Marilyn Penner, Allan Toop and Nora Weber have spent a combined 170 years living in the eastern Fraser Valley. Toop's and Penner's families have been farming the land for more than three generations, while Weber has lived on the same village corner for well over a decade. All three agreed Monday they've never seen flooding happen the way it did this week.
