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.
Most of the world’s drinkable water is contained in freshwater lakes. Although it may seem like the amount of freshwater is small compared to saltwater, and it is, there is still a lot of fresh water in the world. To help you better understand the presence of fresh water in the world, we’re going to look at the 12 largest freshwater lakes in the world. These are the largest bodies of water that are not brackish or saline!
A New Brunswick filmmaker is diving into his passion by producing an under-water film to draw attention to the quality of rivers across Canada. Shelley Steeves has more as Harrison Burton hopes his film will encourage all levels of government to invest more in studying Canada’s vast number of freshwater lakes.
H’art Centre is launching its national visual art exhibit, Connecting Canadians: Freshwater later this week. It will be the first public exhibit to be held in THE MIX, H’art Centre’s new 4,000-square-foot community outreach and gallery space adjacent to their 237 Wellington Street location. “From the largest glaciers to the small tributaries that flow into tranquil freshwater lakes, colourful details come alive while you explore original work from inclusive art studios and allied arts organizations from across Canada,” the organization shared in a media release. “Together, the work of neurodiverse artists will celebrate freshwater and the way it connects us.”
Filmmaker Kevin Settee's four-part documentary series is an ode to one of the world's largest freshwater lakes and the people and communities who care for it. The series profiles the resilience and ingenuity of four Indigenous communities: Matheson Island, Poplar River First Nation, Fisher River Cree Nation and Camp Morningstar. Using an "own voices" approach, Settee connects with people who are responding to various external challenges such as climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and industrial encroachment.
The impacts of climate change on freshwater lakes are being studied through community-based water monitoring.
Living Lakes Canada has begun asking people to register to monitor their favourite lakes as part of the 2nd Annual National Lake Blitz. Anyone with a camera can participate, with free kits being sent out upon registration for the program. According to Lake Blitz Coordinator, Camille Leblanc, training for the program will begin on May 1 with the training also being available as a recording on the Living Lakes Canada website. There will be simple tools, support and background information that looks at the impact of temperature change, algae blooms and invasive species.
The researchers found that from 1980 to 2017, oxygen levels fell by about five per cent near the surface and 19 per cent in deep waters, they reported in the journal Nature last week. The decline in oxygen levels in lakes is 2.75 to 9.3 times higher than the decline in oxygen in the world's oceans, which has also raised concern among scientists about the health of aquatic life. The fact that water can't hold as much oxygen at warmer temperatures is a main factor in decreasing oxygen levels in both lakes and oceans. When the surface waters warm, they also mix less with deeper waters, disrupting the downward flow of oxygen.
