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.
It’s been nearly one week since local officials learned the federal government chose Winnipeg over Sault Ste. Marie as the host city for the Canada Water Agency (CWA) headquarters. Disappointed by the decision, members of the CWA task force in town remained hopeful the Sault could still have some involvement with the federal agency by hosting a regional hub.
Oil is leaking again from a sunken United States Army transport vessel, the Brigadier General M.G. Zalinski, in Grenville Channel, about 100 kilometres south of Prince Rupert. Guardians noticed a “small amount” of oil on the water near the wreck site in September, the Canadian Coast Guard said. It completed an assessment of the site and found three leaks releasing slow but regular drops of oil into the water.
Transport Canada has served notice it will seize and dispose of 11 vessels moored in False Creek that the federal agency deems wrecked, abandoned or hazardous. “Transport Canada can deem a vessel abandoned if it is left unattended for two years or less in circumstances where it appears that the owner will not be returning,” a spokeswoman for Transport Canada said in an emailed response to questions.
City Council this week approved creation of a task force aimed at spearheading the Sault's bid to become the home of the Canada Water Agency. The new federal agency is expected to work with provinces, territories, Indigenous communities, local authorities, scientists and others in finding ways to keep Canada's water safe and competently managed. A number of communities are known to be interested in landing the clean-water prize, but around the Ronald A. Irwin Civic Centre, most of the talk is about the City of Regina.
The City of Regina and File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council want the Queen City to be the home of the Canada Water Agency (CWA) headquarters. The announcement was made on Monday morning that the City of Regina and the File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council will be putting in a bid for the headquarters of the Federally-owned CWA to be in Regina.
The Saskatchewan government has announced a $4-billion plan to expand irrigation out of the Lake Diefenbaker reservoir. Work is set to begin immediately, and will be completed in three phases over the next decade. CBC reporter Jason Warick spoke Friday with John Pomeroy, a Canada Research chair and director of the University of Saskatchewan's Global Water Futures program.
