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.
Todd Lewis, the president of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan, said it has not been this dry on his farm near Regina since the 1980s. Lewis said farming practices have changed since those drought years to conserve moisture in the soil. 'We manage our water better but we still cannot replace rainfall.' He said it is especially tough for cattle farmers, as dugout levels are low. Lewis and other farmers are hoping May and June bring rain.
