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.
Climate change is causing mild winter temperatures to become more frequent across the country, one extreme weather expert says. Parts of southern Ontario have seen unseasonably warm temperatures and rainfall warnings in recent days, with some local conservation authorities warning the public to stay away from waterways as water levels are expected to rise due to rain and melting snow.
Weather forecasters warn a “messy mix of wintry precipitation,” including freezing rain and ice pellets, is set to move into Southwestern Ontario. In a special weather statement, Environment Canada says up to 25 millimetres of rain could fall between late Wednesday and Thursday afternoon. The federal weather agency is calling for a high in London of 7 C on Wednesday and 2 C Thursday.
Town crews in Happy-Valley Goose Bay are working to deal with flooding after the area was blasted with snow, followed by warming temperatures and 28 hours of freezing rain over the weekend. About 17 cm of snow fell on Friday, followed quickly by freezing rain that lasted through Sunday before switching to rain. It took down trees, had Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro crews working to remove ice buildup on power lines, and forced the town to issue what it calls an urgent public safety advisory, as flood waters pooled on streets in town, and started eating away at some of the gravel roads. "There's no doubt that this year's flooding is probably the worst I've seen," Happy Valley-Goose Bay mayor Wally Andersen told The St. John's Morning Show.
