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

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Ohio Train Derailment, Toxic Chemical Spill Renews Fears Over Canada-U.S. Rail Safety

Ohio Train Derailment, Toxic Chemical Spill Renews Fears Over Canada-U.S. Rail Safety

At last report, the Ohio Emergency Management Agency had declared that successful containment of the spilled chemicals meant no further derailment-related die-offs were expected, and that “live fish were returning to Leslie Run,” the nearest small waterway. But local residents remain concerned about the health of waterways. Many worry that toxins may have settled into sediments, posing a persistent danger to benthic organisms (plants and animals at the bottom of the waterway). Those toxins are ready to be released at the slightest disturbance—as simple as a dog chasing a stick, or a wading child.

Peter S. Ross: We need to understand the extent to which floods further degrade fish habitat

Peter S. Ross: We need to understand the extent to which floods further degrade fish habitat

With government agencies dealing with the urgent public safety needs of the day, the health of fish habitat ranked low on the list of priorities. But as floodwaters rose, the distinction between terrestrial and aquatic habitats blurred, salmon and sturgeon swam across farmers’ fields, and contaminants from human activities washed unfettered into streams and rivers.

Atmospheric rivers overlooked by B.C. agencies amid information gap

Atmospheric rivers overlooked by B.C. agencies amid information gap

The term “atmospheric river” is familiar to meteorologists and climatologists, but government agencies and policymakers in B.C. were largely unaware of the phenomenon until the recent flooding and mudslide devastation, despite a years-old report highlighting issues around research and awareness. CTV News has obtained a 2014 report, titled “Atmospheric Rivers State of Knowledge Report,” that described an information gap when it came to understanding how they impacted the province in terms of damage and risk of damage, as well as how to better understand potential future impacts.

Health Canada knew about contaminated water for 2 years before Mississippi Mills residents informed

Health Canada knew about contaminated water for 2 years before Mississippi Mills residents informed

Many government agencies knew about the suspicious well water in Ramsay Meadows, a small subdivision halfway between Almonte and Carleton Place. But none of those agencies told the residents. The 49 homes stand across the street from the National Research Council’s national fire lab, which does research on firefighting. In late 2013, the lab bosses learned that their firefighting chemicals had contaminated their property’s groundwater, probably in the late 1900s.

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