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

flood

New river channel breathes life into Inglewood Bird Sanctuary

New river channel breathes life into Inglewood Bird Sanctuary

A new channel carrying river water to the lagoon in the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary is expected to revitalize a key wildlife habitat. The southeast park was heavily damaged by the 2013 flood on the Bow River. Since then, there have been cleanups and a rebuilding of the park infrastructure. A study was done to come up with ways to revitalize the area and enhance things like flood and erosion control. The plan included constructing a new channel that carries water from the Bow to the sanctuary's lagoon.

A decade ago, Toronto was underwater. Here's what's changed since the 2013 flood Social Sharing Facebook Twitter Email Reddit LinkedIn

A decade ago, Toronto was underwater. Here's what's changed since the 2013 flood Social Sharing Facebook Twitter Email Reddit LinkedIn

Flooded streets, destroyed basements and a GO Train stuck in so much water that passengers had to be ferried to dry ground in inflatable boats — 10 years after Toronto was pounded by a record-breaking storm, many can still remember where they were when it happened. The storm on July 8, 2013 saw at least 300,000 Toronto residents hit with power outages and about 1,400 passengers stranded for hours on a train filled with water. It also highlighted the need for more investment to help prevent flooding.

After the flood: Alberta communities assessing damage as water levels recede

After the flood: Alberta communities assessing damage as water levels recede

West-central Alberta communities are assessing damage and making repairs as flood waters recede. In the town of Edson, 100 kilometres west of Edmonton, a state of local emergency ended Monday after a tumultuous two weeks of fire and flood.

Property owner learns a hard lesson on insurance against water damage

Property owner learns a hard lesson on insurance against water damage

In early December, while the property was unoccupied, Morgan’s real estate agent phoned him to advise that the house had been damaged as a result of a burst water connection to a second-floor toilet. Co-operators investigated the claim and denied coverage. The company’s position was that there was no insurance coverage for water damage after the property was vacant for more than five days, and there was no insurance at all for any loss if the dwelling was vacant for more than 30 consecutive days.

Boil water advisory in effect for 3 Calgary communities

Boil water advisory in effect for 3 Calgary communities

Three southwest Calgary communities are under a boil water advisory due to a watermain break Thursday afternoon at a nearby construction site. It appears as though an excavator ruptured a pipe, resulting in a large pool of water flooding a portion of the site. Alberta Health Services (AHS) says residents in Silverado, Yorkville, and Belmont are advised to bring tap water to a rolling boil for at least one minute before consumption.

Flood fears prompt Iroquois Falls to declare state of emergency

Flood fears prompt Iroquois Falls to declare state of emergency

“While we all hoped and prayed that water levels would have dropped to more manageable levels by now, after nearly three weeks, they have not. In fact, the level has continued to rise.” Major concerns include containing sewage due to flooded septic systems on Nellie Lake, the threat to potable water due to contamination and concerns for the safety and well-being of volunteers assisting with the flooding.

Whiteman’s Creek flood recedes leaving damage in its wake

Whiteman’s Creek flood recedes leaving damage in its wake

While flood water from Whiteman’s Creek on Okanagan Indian Band land, near Vernon, B.C., have receded, the waterway is still running very high and the evacuation order for adjacent homes was expanded overnight. Megan Turcato has more on the damage already done and why the area isn’t out of danger yet.

Kemptville, Ont. residents come together as properties flood

Kemptville, Ont. residents come together as properties flood

A flood warning remains in effect for the Rideau Valley watershed following Wednesday's ice storm. Many in the Kemptville area have properties under water. Mark Visser's front lawn is completely flooded. "You move stuff off the floor… hopefully it won't get wet and you hope for the best," he said. Rising water levels, coupled with an ice storm and the immediate melt pushed the Rideau River higher.

Southern Manitoba communities still recovering from last year's flood brace for another one

Southern Manitoba communities still recovering from last year's flood brace for another one

Communities along the Red River in Manitoba are bracing for another major flood this spring, even as some still have not finished repairing damage from last year's high water event. The Rural Municipality of Montcalm, which surrounds southern Manitoba communities like Letellier and St. Jean Baptiste, still has about $10 million to $15 million worth of repairs left to make, said Reeve Paul Gilmore.

Colonial governments continue to destroy Innu land and traditional culture, says longtime activist and elder

Colonial governments continue to destroy Innu land and traditional culture, says longtime activist and elder

Mistreatment of Innu people by colonial governments continues today, said an elder and activist who has fought for decades to protect the Innu's traditional culture and land in Labrador. "I will start on how we have been treated by the white man, and the treatment is still ongoing today," said Tshaukuesh (Elizabeth) Penashue, on Thursday when she began her testimony at an inquiry examining how Innu children and families have been affected by the child protection system.

'No timeline' for rebuilding, says Peguis man visiting home condemned after 2022 flood

'No timeline' for rebuilding, says Peguis man visiting home condemned after 2022 flood

Darryle Sinclair is one of many evacuees from Peguis First Nation who could be stuck without homes for years while plans for future home builds and flood mitigation efforts continue. "We have to move and relocate," Sinclair said. "For a replacement home, we have to wait until everything's ready and gets back to normal. It's tough." But as of now, he doesn't know when that will be.

Hailed as green energy source, northern Quebec lithium project divides Cree

Hailed as green energy source, northern Quebec lithium project divides Cree

According to the promoters, the region contains some of the world's largest deposits of spodumene, a rock from which lithium — key to the energy transition and the electrification of transport networks — is extracted. Nemaska Lithium describes itself as a corporation that "intends to facilitate access to green energy, for the benefit of humanity." The Whabouchi open pit mine will be located about 30 kilometres from the village of Nemaska, in the watershed of the Rupert River, considered one of Quebec's ecological gems. "If the water becomes contaminated by the mine, I don't see how we can limit the damage to the food chain," says Thomas Jolly, who was chief of Nemaska from 2015 to 2019, stressing the importance of fishing to his community.

Paradise Gardens farmers face uncertain future due to fears of more spring flooding in southern N.W.T.

Paradise Gardens farmers face uncertain future due to fears of more spring flooding in southern N.W.T.

Devastating flooding last spring has many in the farming community around Hay River, N.W.T., contemplating their future. Andrew Cassidy and Helen Green, owners of Greenwood Gardens, are still deciding on their next move as they grapple with what's left of their home and business after floodwaters tore through the Paradise Gardens valley in May. "The flooding was really damaging, like it washed away soil, it washed away our raised beds," Cassidy said.

Vancouver is one big giant puddle as sidewalks, streets flood (PHOTOS/VIDEOS)

Vancouver is one big giant puddle as sidewalks, streets flood (PHOTOS/VIDEOS)

On Sunday, October 30, Vancouver woke up to the sounds and sights of rain. Some of it was pleasant, like the pattering on our windows. Others are less pleasant, like ankle-swallowing giant puddles popping around downtown Vancouver. Environment Canada has a rainfall warning in effect for Metro Vancouver, and we’re going to get up to 50 mm of rain today. Already, in the early morning, it’s starting to collect in puddles, making it hard to navigate the city as a pedestrian.

The 2004 Peterborough flood was disastrous. AI aims to prevent a repeat

The 2004 Peterborough flood was disastrous. AI aims to prevent a repeat

To strengthen Peterborough’s climate resilience, an integrated flood model (IFM) was created. The IFM depicts the entire storm sewer system and projects the potential surface flooding that could occur. Highly detailed data is needed to accurately model all the different types of built surfaces and vegetation, so the city enlisted the help of Ecopia AI, a Toronto-based tech company that uses geospatial data and artificial intelligence (AI) to create high-resolution images of landscapes.

‘Bone dry or soaking wet,’ water study faces extremes

‘Bone dry or soaking wet,’ water study faces extremes

Farmers learned a lot from the real-world whiplashing experiment you could call “Farming in 2021-22.” “Make sure your dugouts are deep enough,” said Ridgeville, Man., farmer Neil Claringbould, when asked what he learned from the brutal drought of 2021, as he showed other farmers and researchers one of his new water retention dams on a stream on his land. How about 2022? “We weren’t short of grass.”

Sudden heavy downpour floods parts of southwestern Manitoba

Sudden heavy downpour floods parts of southwestern Manitoba

A hot and muggy evening became a sudden monsoon in parts of southern Manitoba on Tuesday, with sideways rain, golf-ball-sized hail and flooding. "It was very sudden and unexpected. We all just got very soaked. It caught us all off guard," said Cori Bezan, who had headed out for dinner at the Winkler golf course as the clouds rolled in. "By the time we sat down to dinner, the temperature was just dropping and the wind was picking up and all of a sudden we could just see a sheet of rain advancing over the golf course."

USask major scientific centres awarded $170M of MSI funding

USask major scientific centres awarded $170M of MSI funding

$15.25 million is for GWFO: GWFO is an integrated network of 76 instrumented basins, rivers, lakes and wetlands, 27 deployable observation systems, and 31 state-of-the-art water laboratories. Together they provide data to quickly address flood, drought and water quality issues, GFWO operates across seven provinces and territories, including the Great Lakes Basin. USask leads the nine-university collaboration that operates the network to monitor and help support the development of solutions for the impending water crisis that faces Canadians due to climate change, poor water management, the proliferation of toxic contaminants, and environmental degradation.

Bedford, N.S. woman’s water purification system to launch pilot project in Africa

Bedford, N.S. woman’s water purification system to launch pilot project in Africa

A new Halifax-based organization has developed a cost-effective water purification system and will be launching a pilot project in the Gambia and Kenya. Founded by 20-year-old Rachel Brouwer, The Purification Project will bring water purification systems to vulnerable Kenyan and Gambian communities living without access to safe water. When Brouwer was 11 years old, she realized not everyone in the world had access to clean drinking water after reading a sign on a hiking trip that read, “Caution, do not drink. The water source is contaminated.”

Evacuation orders issued near Terrace as Skeena River threatens to flood small communities

Evacuation orders issued near Terrace as Skeena River threatens to flood small communities

The Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine has issued an evacuation order for three small communities near Terrace as the Skeena River continues to rise after a weekend of heavy rain and snowmelt. Residents of Old Remo, New Remo, and Usk were told to leave their homes by 8 p.m. PT Sunday. The district issued an evacuation alert on Thursday. The communities, built on low-lying flood plains, have faced flood crises over the past two decades. Old Remo was flooded in 2002, 2007 and 2017, seeing roads washed out and dozens of homes evacuated.

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