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

farmland

Wet winter needed to feed next years' crops, say Alberta irrigators amid early water shut-off

Wet winter needed to feed next years' crops, say Alberta irrigators amid early water shut-off

Lake Newell, a reservoir south of Brooks, Alta. that helps feed water to farmland as well as various municipal, industrial, wildlife and recreational areas, is less than half the level it should be heading into winter. The lake is a part of the Eastern Irrigation District (EID), an area east of Calgary bound by the Red Deer river to the north, and the Bow River to the south. On Sept. 25, EID shut down its irrigation season roughly two weeks ahead of when it normally would, due to dry conditions throughout the summer that have strained water supply. 

Ontario developer's plan to build golf course on farmland has some worried it will 'destroy' their village

Ontario developer's plan to build golf course on farmland has some worried it will 'destroy' their village

Some residents of a small village in Ontario's cottage country are speaking out against a proposed development that would see farmland turned into a golf course resort and housing. The Kawartha Bay project in Cameron, Ont., located approximately 150 kilometres northeast of Toronto in the City of Kawartha Lakes, is being proposed by Markham-based Flato Developments. It would feature an 18-hole golf course interspersed with 339 seasonal homes, 84 rentals, a clubhouse, restaurant and a refurbished marina.

Quebec town illegally rezoned farmland, clear cut wetlands, commission finds

Quebec town illegally rezoned farmland, clear cut wetlands, commission finds

Three years after a flood engulfed Beauceville, the Quebec town could face legal sanctions after razing wetlands without a permit, a Quebec municipal commission report has found. From March to May, clear cutting was carried out over several hectares on behalf of the town of about 6,500 on lots the Environment Ministry had not approved, the commission says.

1 year later, British Columbians who lost everything reflect on devastating floods

1 year later, British Columbians who lost everything reflect on devastating floods

John Jongema's house is habitable again, but he is not getting rid of the fifth-wheel trailer he moved onto his farmland to ride out the rebuild anytime soon. "I'm keeping that trailer as a getaway," he said with a nervous chuckle. Jongema, who lives on a hobby farm on the Sumas Prairie about 90 kilometres east of Vancouver, is one of nearly 20,000 people in the southern part of British Columbia forced from their homes a year ago after record-breaking rains caused catastrophic flooding. The relentless rain came via an atmospheric river — an airborne stream of water vapour across the Pacific that originated in the subtropics. It triggered fatal mudslides, damaged critical highway infrastructure and called into question responsibility for flood mitigation in a province repeatedly pummeled by the impacts of climate change.

California outlines plan for scaled back giant water tunnel

California outlines plan for scaled back giant water tunnel

A new plan to reroute how water moves from wetter Northern California to drier Southern California would ferry it through a single, 45-mile (72-kilometer) underground tunnel, wrapping around the state’s existing water delivery system and dumping the water straight into the main aqueduct that sends it south to vast swaths of farmland and millions of people. The scaled back proposal released Wednesday would build one tunnel to take water from the Sacramento River, the state’s largest, to the California Aqueduct for delivery to millions of people and farmland further south.

Residents fear homes, farmland in Ontario's Hillman Marsh area will go under water without federal help

Residents fear homes, farmland in Ontario's Hillman Marsh area will go under water without federal help

Residents, environmentalists and the mayor of Leamington, Ont., say homes and businesses are at severe risk while Ottawa considers an application for millions of dollars to help protect the Hillman Marsh Conservation Area on the Point Pelee peninsula against Lake Erie flooding. Wayne King, founder of the Leamington Shoreline Association, says immediate action is needed to prevent the possibility of destructive flooding in the southwestern Ontario community.  "There's 500 homes and businesses out there that would be under water," he said.

Many B.C. residents struggling as flood relief funds are slow to come

Many B.C. residents struggling as flood relief funds are slow to come

Just off the TransCanada Highway in Abbotsford, B.C., dozens of businesses and hundreds of homes were destroyed in the devastating flooding from late last year and have not yet received any financial assistance. At the peak of the emergency, nearly 15,000 people fled their homes as floodwaters shut down major highways and destroyed vast farmland. “You know everybody’s got similar stories, traumatic stories,” Arthur Deleeuw, a victim of the floods, told CTV National News.

Before-and-after satellite images show flood devastation in B.C.'s Sumas Prairie

Before-and-after satellite images show flood devastation in B.C.'s Sumas Prairie

Dramatic satellite images show the extent of flood damage in B.C.'s Sumas Prairie following last weekend's historic rainfall. The low-lying rural area, east of Abbotsford's town centre, is mostly farmland and was created by the draining of Sumas Lake in the 1920s. Last week the area suffered extensive flooding as water gushed in from the Nooksack River from neighbouring Washington state, forcing evacuations and killing livestock.

Abbotsford, B.C., issues urgent appeal to evacuate Sumas Prairie citing possible catastrophic flooding

Abbotsford, B.C., issues urgent appeal to evacuate Sumas Prairie citing possible catastrophic flooding

Officials in Abbotsford, B.C., are urging residents who were told to evacuate Sumas Prairie earlier Tuesday to leave immediately saying worsening conditions pose "a significant risk to life." At a news conference Tuesday night, city officials said a pump station is in imminent danger of failing. The Barrowtown Pump Station is the only thing keeping excess water flow from the Fraser River from entering the flooded area.

Region of Waterloo won't support Bill 66, votes to send message to province

Region of Waterloo won't support Bill 66, votes to send message to province

Regional councillors do not support planning changes proposed under Bill 66 and will be sending that message to the province about it. During the planning and works committee meeting on Tuesday morning, councillors voted on a staff recommendation to tell the province the region does not support proposed amendments to the Planning Act as set out in Bill 66, the Restoring Ontario's Competitiveness Act, because "it fails to adequately protect human health and safety and in particular the safety of the Region of Waterloo's drinking water resources."

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