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.
“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.
