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.
For years, Andrew Murray would see the small schools of goldfish living in the storm pond near his home in suburban London, Ont. He never thought much of them until this spring, on a sunny day in April when the normally greenish pond had an unusual, if not slightly orange tinge. An avid nature photographer, he captured a few close-ups. It wasn't until he got home and looked at the pictures that he realized how many goldfish must be swimming around in there.
