Nicole Hancock
Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony ...

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.

Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony to heal Chedoke Creek

farm

Part of this centuries-old Quebec farm has been swallowed, maybe permanently, by the river

Part of this centuries-old Quebec farm has been swallowed, maybe permanently, by the river

It took Claude Méthot a couple of days to fully comprehend the extent of the damage to his farm in Baie-Saint-Paul, Que. He says the land that he bought three years ago has been cultivated for hundreds of years. The fields that had been ready for another season of wheat, corn or oats are now covered with sand and clay. "We will not be able to farm this field anymore," said Méthot. He figures he's lost about 10 per cent of his land. "It's a primal, visceral fear and shock just to see where there was this gorgeous wheat field last year. Now it's a river."

Illegal waste dump on farm near Cultus Lake stokes environmental worries among residents

Illegal waste dump on farm near Cultus Lake stokes environmental worries among residents

D'Arcy Henderson picks up pieces of plastic and trash strewn across her neighbour's yard. The Columbia Valley resident points to steaming piles of waste sitting on the other side of a blue fence as the source. "If you look at the plastic on the ground and the garbage blowing, that's 500 years that won't disappear," she told CBC News. Environmental concerns are mounting in the small community near Cultus Lake, B.C., about 101 kilometres east of Vancouver, after truckload after truckload of business waste was dropped at a farm without provincial approval, violating B.C.'s Environmental Management Act.

Sandy Bay First Nation councillor raises concerns over diesel spill on farm near Lake Manitoba

Sandy Bay First Nation councillor raises concerns over diesel spill on farm near Lake Manitoba

Officials say a diesel spill on a property near Lake Manitoba just over two weeks ago has been contained and there is little risk of the fuel contaminating Sandy Bay First Nation's water source, but a community official says he has concerns about the spill. "We drink from these and we eat from these bodies of water," Randal Roulette, band councillor for Sandy Bay, said on Thursday.

Families looking to rebuild flooded Abbotsford homes disheartened after being denied bank loans

Families looking to rebuild flooded Abbotsford homes disheartened after being denied bank loans

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.

Kayakers deliver supplies to farm cut off by floods in Chilliwack, B.C.

Kayakers deliver supplies to farm cut off by floods in Chilliwack, B.C.

A nimble fleet of kayakers has been delivering goods to a farm near Chilliwack, B.C., ever since the floods cut off road access in mid-November. Suzy Coulter, whose farm is south of Chilliwack, ended up getting cut off from the main road after the massive storms of Nov. 15 and 16. Coulter said the road was "completely eaten" by the surging Chilliwack River and the only road access left for the farm is a forest service road at the top of a steep hill.

‘It was hard enough before’: Manitoba’s drought, worsened by climate crisis, is upending Prairie life

‘It was hard enough before’: Manitoba’s drought, worsened by climate crisis, is upending Prairie life

Tom Johnson saunters from his dust-covered pick-up truck and, with his foot, he nudges the side of an old tractor tire now cemented to the ground in the middle of his pasture — a make-shift trough. The extreme drought conditions that have beset his cattle ranch near Oak Point, Man., about an hour’s drive northwest of Winnipeg, have forced him to block out what the weeks or months ahead might have in store. Instead, he’s putting his head down and focusing on the new challenges each individual day presents.

PVWC Continues To Monitor Water Usage

PVWC Continues To Monitor Water Usage

Water usage on Monday was up 20% from Sunday. The water treatment plants are operating at slightly below full capacity. We will be monitoring water demand closely this week as forecasted temperatures rise and anticipate it could be close to peak availability. Alternate water sources continue to be available for the farm, industrial, and residential. Please contact your municipality for additional fill stations not listed below.

Lack of funding for piped water on First Nations in Sask. means some on reserves can’t drink from their taps

Lack of funding for piped water on First Nations in Sask. means some on reserves can’t drink from their taps

Rebecca Zagozewski, executive director with the Saskatchewan First Nations Water Association, says cisterns can pose health risks to those who rely on them. She says the structures can have cracked lids, which allows all sorts of debris to get into them — including rats, mice, drowned puppies and garbage — and they’re often not cleaned properly. On top of that, she says the Saskatchewan First Nations Water Association is concerned that there is no certification program for water truck drivers. The group wants to create such a program where drivers would have to be trained in how to keep the water safe and be held accountable if things go wrong. “Because right now there’s no accountability,” she says.

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